It's A Pirate's Life For Me
by Beloved Princess
Summary: The sun, the sea, the adventure! The life of a pirate, everyone dreams of it. Everyone longs to set sail on the Grand Line and discover the treasure hidden in the boroughs of the ocean. A journey on the sea teaches them that not all treasures are material but they're valued all the same.
1. Chapter 1

_Gladiator sandals click-clack across a marble flooring, the rattling and clanking of items inside of a silk pouch. Metal piercing metal, blood splashed against glass, a screech of fear…a bloodied face, fresh corpses fall to the floor and the sun's golden rays pour into the room, highlighting the paling faces of the dead._

"Hey, Ellie…Ellie, you alright?" A voice snapped the girl out of her daydream. She blinked her eyes of scarlet red in confusion before flipping her soaked blonde-and-white curls out of her face, rubbed her eye and her slightly hazy vision was coming back to her. But she didn't look to the "voice" that was shaking her, she looked to the pale blue sky, the albatrosses which glided across it majestically, feathers ruffling wildly. They flew together not one straying from the group, such a wingspan had to be in the air for quite long.

What majestic creatures they were…she would crave to learn more of these birds.

They cawed loudly as Ellie almost felt the fear and stress ease off of her. Her gaze of scarlet fell to the person who had once shook her, their eyes met – scarlet colliding into blizzard blue, her head was on his lap, his legs crossed in an odd fashion that many referred to it as Indian-style. His hair slid down the angle of his neck and was sandy blonde-colored, freckles specked the bridge of his nose and he had quite the jaw. Aristocratic, elegant, upper-class…

Her pale hand went to his face and she caressed his cheek. She felt his whole body stiffen under her touch, her hands were gloved in thick black gloves that were tied at the wrist with a strand of spider's silk to secure them from slipping off or from her removing them. "Alexander…was it? Are you alright?"

He sighed. Did she sense a speck of relief in his tone? "Yeah…I should be asking you the same. You're the one who magically falls off the boat. I tell you all the time not to stand on the boat's railing. One day…" He brushed her hand away from his freckled face, the smell of brine and salt flowing into her nostrils. "I won't be around and you'll likely drown." He took her head in both of his hands and placed it on the wood of the main deck after getting up from the deck himself.

Propping her elbows on the wood, she sat up, looking up at him with dull eyes. "Alexander…" She watched as he leaned against the boat's railing as the ocean waves thrashed. They were headed east in search of the next town. Alexander was quite wealthy so his boat was high-class and large but only able to fit a few people considering its number of empty rooms.

Alexander turned to her, nodding his head upward for her to continue speaking. She stood up and looked at her waterlogged clothing: a black trench coat over a blue-and-green lace up corset (which wasn't as seductive as others), black shorts and a leather belt round her waist, fishnet thigh-highs and leather thigh-length boots. "How…come you never smile?"

Alexander directed his eyes to the sky almost in thought, the sun's golden rays making his hair look like gold. "Well…I just don't find reason to. They say you smile when you're happy…and I really never get happy."

Ellie blinked and then frowned. "That's…sad…Alexander, will you smile for me one day?"

Alexander just looked at her, still not smiling. "Maybe."

Suddenly two images flashed through his mind. Wanted posters. One of Ellie, an outdated one seeing as she was only a child. And his, which was recently updated due to an unknown someone with a camera, Ellie looking as if she were five with a dull look in her eye, blonde-and-white curls chopped into a boy's cut and with multiple cuts on her face. While Alexander was practically drenched in dried blood, his hair messy and his face paling within each second. He had a sickeningly crazy gleam in his eyes and a psychotic grin on his face.

_Dead or Alive: Ellie –__**B**__3,000,000 _

_Dead or Alive: Alexander Currie–__**B**__1,000_

And right now he didn't have a lot to smile about…

-x-x-x-

**And with that ends the first chapter so should I say welcome to the story or to the ocean…?**

**Because as you all see this is a One Piece fanfic so far featuring the unsmiling snob, Alex, and the weirdo, Ellie. And that's when you or more notably your OCs come in! To join these lovely two on their journey on the ocean and through the towns and nearly getting killed, etc.**

**But I would really like your OCs to be creative as well. Not any Mary-Sues with perfect looks, powers, they could kill anyone in a matter of seconds and everyone loves them including the enemies. So try your best everyone!**

**Name (full name, include middle name if they have one)**

**Nickname(s):**

**Age: **

**Occupation(s):**

**Their dream:**

**Personality:**

**Around crewmates?:**

**Around enemies?:**

**Around future 'love interest'?:**

**What do they look for in said love interest?:**

**Appearance (Hair, eyes, skin, build, blemishes, birthmarks, etc.):**

**Fashion Theme/Style (what colors do they wear? Or what do they wear the most?):**

**Favorite Food:**

**Fighting Style (do they fight with their bare hands, do they have a weapon of some sort, did they swallow a devil's fruit? And if so; what?):**

**Small History:**

**Any medical conditions?:**

**Fear/phobia?:**

**Anything I've missed?:**

**The deadline may be mid next week. I hope you all enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

_The piercing crunch of bone echoed through the caved-in walls_ _before a strained scream of agony_._ Blood splashed across dusty stone_._ Foam drenched the ground_,_ mixing in with the heavy amount of blood among the silver and white_._ The stenches of rusted metal, blood, rotted flesh and earth all combining into one. _

_Swaying ringlets, a group kneeling before one with a snapped bone. _

"_It's okay, it's okay_,"_ A voice so loving and like butter assured_,_ crouching down_,_ covering the entire figure in their shadow. "Don't worry about a thing…" It sounded as if that person would mouth a name but it happened too quick to comprehend. _

"_No_,_ no_!_ It_'_s not_!"_ The injured screamed_,_ crystal drops of tears dribbled into puddles of blood across the dust. Screeching and piercing metal roared, clanking and clattering dangerously_. "_I can't move_!_ I_'_m gonna die_!_ I_'_ll never be able to fight again_!"

"_Get her out of here, hurry_!"_ The wounded was identified as a female_._ A quick "okay" and the reassuring one dropped to their knees_,_ placing a hand around the girl's shoulders_,_ another under her knees_._ She screamed as he took her away from the blood and dust_,_ shaking on his feet. _

"_Oh_,_ Alex_!_ Oh_,_ Alex_!_ I_'_m so terrified_!"_ The girl wailed_,_ her arms around his neck shook violently_. "_Alex_,_ please protect me_!_ Save me_!_ Don't let me die_!"

_Alex careful with her leg started into a sprint out of the cave and into the warm light_. "_Don_'_t worry_,_ I won_'_t_._ You_'_ll be fine_…"

_The scene faded into darkness as the two fled_.

-x-x-x-

Ellie leaned her head on Alexander's shoulder. The boat rocked and thrashed at some points in the water. Ellie's soaked curls pulled back in a messy fashion. Alexander still not smiling brought his head atop her own and sighed. "It almost feels weird to be alone with you to some point." He mused.

Ellie still unmoving looked out into the horizon as the sun sunk lower. The sky was a swirling blend of color as though it were a watercolor painting made of yellows, oranges, pinks, blues. So beautiful it was to be out on the water. "How come?" she asked, shutting her scarlet eyes and exhaling a breath of sea air. She could practically taste the salty water. The smell once made her wrinkle her nose but it was nothing to her now. She was practically immune.

Alexander's heart began to thud a tad bit faster. "Ah, it's just that being alone with a girl…is a bit uncomfortable at times." His heart continued to quicken in his ears and he inwardly swore at himself. Ellie still hadn't moved. Did she hear his rushing heartbeat? Was she paying attention in the first place? "I've never really spent time alone with a girl except my sisters…"

Ellie was quiet. "What's…a sister like?"

Alexander picked his head off hers and craned his neck to look back. There were no boats in the area. The shaky compass pointed north so they were headed in the right direction. Slowly but surely, a small island was coming into view. He smiled as he looked ahead. "Well…sisters are always different. I have two little sisters and an older brother so I'm used to it. Do you have any siblings?"

Ellie reopened her eyes, a sad gleam sparkling. "I…don't know." Her voice grew lower and it would've been difficult to not notice the waver in her typically mechanical voice. "I don't think so?" This sentence came out more as a question as if maybe he knew something she didn't.

A wall of ice formed between the two, rough and untouched. They edged closer to the once grain-sized island which had now tripled in size. The air became warmer and silhouettes of town houses and markets formed. Ellie moved away from Alexander and stood up. She squinted as she looked far ahead. "Pretty…are we going there?"

Alexander also stood, seeing as they were much closer. "Only for a short time though you never know when there could be marines there."

She shrugged, exhaling a different breath of warm air. "True."

They docked at the pier but before they got off, Alexander turned to Ellie, blizzard blue eyes demanding. "Get your weapons, keep on-guard." He commanded, pointing to her cabin. "You never know."

Ellie looked to him with frowns marring her forehead. "Must you always be so stern?" She asked, rolling her eyes when he didn't answer. "Okay, fine. Fine!" He watched as she descended the stairs before his thoughts carried him away.

Why had he rescued her? Why had he risked his life? All. For. _Her_. He had a family, he had his dear sisters, friends…no, scratch that. Acquaintances, maybe? He didn't think before he acted and was now being hunted by The World Government for idiocy but he couldn't help but think.

It was worth it.

Ellie ascended the stairs now with two gun holsters on either sides of her leather belt with a spare set of bullets taped to her thigh. She raised a brow at him. "And yet you don't have a weapon?"

He raised both fists, gesturing to his knuckles which were sheathed in brass armoring. "I'm not stupid."

Ellie released a soft sigh. "I'd hope not."

Alexander made sure the boat was set to the dock and they climbed down. Ellie was greeted by a man pushing through Alexander and pressing a gun to her temple. She looked casual as the man looked monstrous but his eyes betrayed him. With straw-colored hair parted through the middle and ochre eyes flaring, he was handsome. His finger trembled as it crawled to the trigger, seeming like he didn't want to put a bullet in her skull. Alexander was frozen, wanting to intervene but couldn't. Was it because he knew Ellie didn't fear it? Maybe. But he was in silence behind Ellie.

"What are you doing in my land?" His voice blazed with possession and despair. His hand began to shake violently. The barrel barely touched her skin anymore. "No trespassers allowed! Did you _not_ see the sign? So take you and your boyfriend and get _out_!"

It would've taken a blink of an eye to miss Ellie's gloved hands reach and cup his huge hand in her tinier ones. Her fingers closed over his fists and she tenderly ran her fingertips along each crease in his knuckles. "It's going to be okay," The gun dropped from his hand and clattered to the cobblestone dock. Her scarlet irises lit up with warmth, her hands not forgetting his. "It's going to be okay…"

Suddenly something out of the blue occurred. His eyes grew round like a full moon before moisture shined in them. Sparkling tears rolled down his tan cheeks, making streaks of wetness. Shamefully, he slid his hand out of hers and collapsed to the dock in tears. His body shook with sobs. "I-I-I'm so sorry…!" he blubbered, shaking his head. "I-I-I was so violent! I-I'm sorry!"

Alexander took a step closer as Ellie dropped to her knees. He was no older than twenty. Ellie placed a hand on his shoulder. Her scarlet eyes flickered to Alexander for a second as she handled the pistol before sliding it across the ground to Alexander. "Just…" Ellie began. "Tell me what happened."

He made a fist and punched the stone. His knuckles split. "Our town is being terrorized!"

-x-x-x-

"Oh!" A young woman chirped as Ellie, Alexander and the man now known as Blake entered his home. The woman was timid with the two extra guests but nonetheless a smile came to her pink mouth. A curtain of strawberry blonde framed her face and petal pink eyes. "Blake, I wasn't expecting guests! Either way, it's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm Rosalina."

"Likewise, Rosalina. I'm Alexander." Alexander greeted, still not smiling. "This is my friend, Ellie."

Ellie held out a hand to the woman who laid one hand over her protruding belly in return. Rosalina's smile broadened as she shook Ellie's hand. A ghost of a smile crossed Ellie's face. "Nice to meet you, ma'am. But…" Her sentence trailed off as she looked out the window to identify an ample grove of tangerines and vines of grapes hanging off healthy trees. The other house windows were shut by blinds, revealing no glimpse of light. "Did something happen here?"

Blake took his place besides Rosalina. "Uhhhh, at some points, yes."

Rosalina nodded twice. "Yes…" She took a nervous glance to the open window as she chewed her lower lip. She took a plastic tea tray off the dinner table. It held two slices of burnt toast and and a tall glass of milk. Her expression was grim. "I'll return shortly. I'm going to go see my…daughter."

Ellie took a step towards Rosalina. "Would you like me to help you?" She outstretched her arms to take the tray from the woman's hands and without even taking time to think, Rosalina dropped the tray in her hands.

"Thank you," Rosalina said. "Is it okay if you go yourself? Only if it's fine with you. I'll tell you later."

Ellie raised a brow and nodded. "Sure, just show me where the room is." Rosalina said nothing but nodded as she led her into a corridor with dimmed light. Rosalina stopped halfway through the hall, extended her arm, and jabbed a slender index finger to the half-open doorway. "Right through there…for my daughter, please."

Without another word, Ellie disappeared into the darkness of the hall and entered the room. She moved the door a slight to fit her body through as it squeaked from lack of oil in its hinges. Ellie felt the wall for a light switch and turned it, lighting the room in a soft white light. There were pink walls patterned with cartoon animals, a child's bed by a curtained window, a cracked mirror. In the bed was a small girl, three or four. A tangled riot of curls in her flushed face and her pink eyes, Rosalina's, were wild with surprise. She looked frail as though the lightest wind could take her away. When she noticed Ellie, she beamed.

"Oh." she said in a tiny voice. "I-I…don't think I know you. Are you one of Mommy's friends?"

A little smile came to Ellie's face. "Yeah, baby," She placed the tray on the chestnut side table and kneeled at the girl's bedside. Her blanket was a shallow white tablecloth and her "pillow" wasn't even a pillow. It was a potato sack stuffed full with crumpled strips of newspaper. "Want something to eat?"

The girl shook her head no. "N-No, I don't need it…Mommy says I'll be sleeping with the angels soon."

Ellie felt her heart collapse and lurch. Her eyes were hot but she managed with them. She looked at the girl to see her smiling. SMILING FOR CHRIST'S SAKE! "It's okay," she assured Ellie despite the large gap of years between them. She was smart for her age. Ellie's hand shot forward and brushed a crowd of curls from the child's eyes.

Ellie took a seat on the bed and dragged the little girl into her arms. The girl nuzzled her head into Ellie's neck as Ellie detached her holstered belt. Ellie released a breath, her chest rising up and then down. "Tell me, honey…" Her voice was kind but her words were stiff.

"Hoshiko."

Ellie blinked. "Huh?"

Hoshiko smiled a heart-warming smile which she probably inherited from her mother. "I was born under the stars. That's what Mommy says."

Ellie shut her eyes. "Cute."

"I'll tell you," Hoshiko said; her eyelids fluttering. "Mommy left me here alone…after I got sickie…" She sniffled. "She gives me food and since the bad people came to our home, th-they took our thing. Daddy calls it the dragon claw! It heals most boo-boos and a girl went to them but she got locked up and…and…they make everyone pay a lot of money to live or they kill you!"

Ellie opened her eyes to see the girl close to tears. Ellie hugged her tight, arms wrapped around the girl as if to shield her from the dangers of the world. "Don't cry, baby. Don't cry. You don't need to worry about a thing."

The screen door wheezed open and slammed shut. Rowdy footsteps came down the hall toward the room. Ellie's eyes narrowed as she calmly ordered Hoshiko to hide under the covers. A tall man came to the door, wielding a shiny black handgun and a psychotic grin. "Where's the brat? Duties need to be finished fast, bitch." From under the covers, Hoshiko began shaking. "Her parents told me to come and kill her…actually, they didn't but someone outta! Har har! If I can't get her, I'll kill you, eh?"

He noticed the girl quivering from under the cloth. "I see her there." He aimed the barrel of his gun at the girl, who started to whimper underneath her makeshift blanket. He fired a single shot and Ellie proffered her arm. The bullet wedged itself into her elbow, an inch away from rupturing a muscle. She smirked as the bullet hissed in her arm before crackling out onto the floor.

He began to shake himself. "Y-You're a freak!"

Ellie raised her own gun and shut an eye. "I'd rather be a freak than a monster."

Smoke exhaled out after the gunshot, a bullet soared, and a body crumpled to the ground in a puddle of red.

-x-x-x-

Meanwhile, chains rattled and clattered as a girl's arms were chained behind her. Her ankles also bound. She was locked in a dungeon. Metal with metal clanked from outside the door. The creaky door opened, allowing an outpour of light into the cobwebbed room.

"Get up, bitch. Morning's here." A man snarled. The girl rose her head reluctantly and dark rings hung under her heavy eyelids. Her hazel eyes were narrow and it was indicated that she had pale, fair skin. She smiled and readjusted her position. Her clothes were shredded.

"Good morning," she greeted icily.

The guard mirrored her cruelty. "Likewise. Now maybe if you stop talking back to Hagashi-sama, he'll quit giving you extra time."

She scoffed. "Whatever."

"We'll return with some food soon in a few minutes," he said blankly.

She laughed dryly. "Maybe I'll get a chance to eat it today!"

The guard growled. "Shut it, Akane!" And with a slam and lock of the door, he was gone, the light with him.

Akane's smirk never left.

_Dead or Alive: Akane Hirugimi _

'_The Devilish Swordswoman" –__**B **__4,000_

-x-x-x-

**And with that finishes another chapter. Most of your OCs will start appearing but let me first say thank you because I loved each and every one of them! So creative and well described, truly wonderful.**

**But anyways, I'm not trying to sound demanding here but I'll need a few more OCs. Maybe three or four?**

**But to be more specific I need a doctor, cook and sniper. And anything else creative you all come up with! :)**

**The character form is on the previous chapter's page. So send in some OCs, don't be shy! :D **


	3. Chapter 3

_An angry fist banged on a brittle oak door_._ Fragile million_-_dollar vases rattled on their marble pillars. Children ran throughout the house in fear_,_ ducking behind couches and underneath the dining table_._ The knocking continued as the only two unhidden were teenagers peeking through the blinds_. _The male teen yanked the girl back when she was caught her staring._

"_Come on_,_ Marie_!"_ he seethed_. "_All the kids are hiding and Mom and Dad aren_'_t even home yet_!_ If those people see us_,_ who knows what_'_ll happen_?"_ He brushed some strands of dark brown from his hazel eyes_._ A few children whimpered and clutched one another for comfort_. "_Let_'_s call Mom and Dad and just wait for them to come_."

_Marie shook her head_. "_No_,_ Donnie_._ Really_, _how bad can it be_?"

"_Open the damn door_!"_ A cold_,_ demanding voice snarled from outside. "Or we_'_ll break it down_!"_ Marie shook off Donnie_'_s hand as she took a step closer to the door_._ The doorknob moved and shook as the pounding on the door suddenly stopped. Marie took another step closer and suddenly the door exploded off its hinges_._ It fell flat on the floor with a resounding crash._

_Two marines and their leader stepped over the door and into the home_._ Rifles in the marines' hands_,_ a long bloody blade in the general's. Bloodlust in his eyes and with a head of gray hair, dimples formed at the corners of his mouth_. _There was_ _a cigar between his teeth._

"_So she is here_,_ General McCann_."_ The marine to the left of the general spoke_._ He positioned his rifle and wore a venomous grin_. "_Do we grab her and go now_,_ boss_?"

_General McCann took a step closer to Marie_,_ dropping the bloody sword into its sheath_._ Donnie jerked Marie back and pulled her behind him_,_ spreading his arm out in front of her defensively_. "_Who are you people?_"_ he asked cautiously_.

"_Marines_,_ kid_."_ The marine to the general's right answered_. "_We_'_re here to take the girl." His eyes went to Marie_. "_To prison_."

_Donnie pushed her back again_. "_What_?_ Why_?_ She didn_'_t do anything_!"_ Marie's eyes reached towards the horrified children hidden under the dining table_,_ tears glistening in their eyes._

"_That_'_s classified information but we have proof of her felonies_."_ The general told Donnie acidly. "Either you move or we do this by force."_

_Donnie shakily sighed_. "_Can_'_t you just take this up with our parents_?"

_The guard to the left smirked monstrously_. "_Oh_,_ we already did_…"_ He jabbed his thumb at the bloodied pair lying on the brownstone path_._ Blood spilt across the sidewalk and fence. Pale faces glowed in the light, custom-made clothes soaked in blood._

_Marie cupped her hands over her mouth to muffle her gasp. Sobs of horror boomed from behind the two oldest siblings_._ Marie_'_s eyes expanded in size as Donnie looked at the three in anger. He left Marie's side with white-knuckled fists_,_ his pupils dilated, teeth bared_.

"_You monsters_!"_ he screamed_,_ fist aimed at General McCann. The crack of a gunshot rang throughout the room_._ A bullet pierced Donnie's shoulder and he crumpled to the floor_,_ clutching his shoulder_, _howling. _

_The marine positioned his gun to shoot Donnie again but Marie jumped to his aid. Tears streamed down her cheeks_._ She separated her arms_,_ ready to protect and take the bullet_. "_No_,_ please_!"_ she begged_,_ shaking. She held her hands in front of her_,_ preparing to be shackled_. "_Take me away_!_ Arrest me_!_ I_'_ll admit it_!_ I killed those people_,_ I did_!_ Don_'_t kill him_,_ please_!_ PLEASE_!"_ Donnie clutched his shoulder and moaned in pain_,_ blood dripping through his fingers_.

_General McCann grinned and chewed the end of his cigar_. "_Hold your fire_."_ The two marines held their guns back_._ He fished out a pair of kairoseki handcuffs from inside his long white coat_._ They jingled as he walked closer to Marie, tears still gliding down her cheeks. "Arms behind your back." Marie nodded and did as she was told. He cuffed her wrists_._ She looked to her brother with nervous eyes but eventually gave him a smile._

"_I love you_,_ Donnie_."_ she said to her injured brother_. "_I truly do_."

_Donnie held out a hand to stop her_,_ closing an eye in pain_. "_Marie…don_'_t_."

_Marie ignored him and turned back to General McCann_. "_Can I have a final request_?"

_He nodded carelessly_. "_Sure_."

_Marie smiled a relieved_,_ loving smile_. "_Call a doctor for him_. _Just_…_save his life. Don't let him die. Make sure he gets guardianship for my brothers and sisters_, _please. He loves them and they love him. That_'_s all I ask_."

_General McCann smiled meekly at her_. "_Consider it done_."_ He turned back to the marines behind him. "Now_, _take her_…"_ They grabbed her by the elbow and led her out of the mansion in silence_._ The general followed_,_ requesting a Den Den Mushi to phone a doctor for Marie_'_s wounded brother._

_The children remained hidden despite the trouble being gone. Donnie stumbled forward and his back met the doorway and his eyes grew wide_._ He outstretched an arm, a hand squeezing his shoulder. The blood on his hand and clothes forgotten_…

"**_MARIE!_**"

"So…"Alexander began, leaning back on the white banister as he sat cross-legged on the blonde floorboards of the patio. He lit a cigarette and breathed out gray. "You expect me to help a town that has done _nothing_ for me just to save _one _girl?"

Ellie sat across from him, knees to her chest. "I'm _not _asking for your help. I was just filling you in on the situation." She stretched her legs and brought herself off the wood, looking back inside. The smell of death lingered. No matter how much bleach Rosalina scrubbed the floors with. That featherbrained mother of Hoshiko's seemed careless as Blake disposed of the deceased body. At least, Blake had half a brain.

Yes, _half a brain_.

"You die almost every time I'm not around. How could I trust you to go fend off an army of killers?" Alexander quipped, standing beside her, towering over her by a few inches. He held the cigarette between two fingers, still wearing the brass knuckles. "So now I really have no choice but to help you…"

"I never told you to save me all those times, Alexander." Ellie said, ice dripping in her voice. She brought out one of her guns. For a partial second, he froze in fear. His bloodstream running cold before he saw her load it with bullets and place it back in its leather holster. "So you don't have to."

Alexander sighed, another plume of smoke following. "Do you want me to go or not?"

Ellie lifted her shoulders in a teeny shrug. "I can't really do this myself."

A glint of relief sparkled in his glacial blue eyes as he dropped the cigarette into the dirt, crushing it under the sole of his shoe. "Good."

"Ellie-nee! Alex-nee!" A voice called from behind the two. Hoshiko had a small hand clutching the doorframe. Sweat clotted at her brow as she wore a grin and an oversized tee. Tiny wisps of bronze clung to her forehead as her ringlets were unkempt and messy along her cherubic face. "Come back soon, 'kay? Real soon! I get bored!"

Alexander knelt beside the girl and finger-combed her sun-streaked curls without a smile. "We will. Promise, sweetheart." he assured. Hoshiko's blush pink irises glowed with meek hope as she smiled and nodded. "We promise that we'll be back soon."

Her broad smile expanded and she patted Alexander's shoulder. "Yaaaaay~" she cheered and hugged his arm before skipping back inside.

Alexander turned to Ellie to see her smiling. "What?"

She walked down the porch steps and into the wide autumn-leaved forest. "Nuttin'."

-x-x-x-

"Whoa. This is HUGE."

"Must you be so childish, Ellie? My family's vacation home is bigger than this."

The subject of parents brought a swirl of thoughts and memories to Ellie but she pushed them all back to inspect the large stone fortress in front of the two. Instead of window frames or panes, there were windowless square gaps. A wide mahogany door stood in the fortress's caved door-space. Before they could actually get into the castle, a dangly, narrow rope ladder shook with the wind. A large bank of water below it thrashed.

Alexander looked to the murky blue water with a frown. "That's quite a fall."

Ellie released a giggle. "Alexander Currie, are you scared?"

A vein of irritation throbbed at Alexander's temple. "I am _not _scared. I just want you to go first."

Ellie shrugged casually. "Whatever." She took a step onto the bridge first and Alexander flinched as the bridge creaked. She smiled and curled and uncurled her index finger, scarlet eyes twinkling. "Come on, Alex. It's not so bad. Don't worry if you fall, I'll catch you."

Alexander rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the reassurance." She took a step back to allow him some space on the bridge as it yawned when he made contact with it. He noticed that not all of the portions of timber were aligned. Some were jagged and split.

The wood wheezed with each step Ellie took as Alexander cautiously held the rope banisters. Ellie, confident and careless, took bigger and noisier steps. They were already halfway across the bridge. Ellie's gloved hand met the gun's trigger. Alexander looked away but continued to take his steps cautiously.

His mind went back to thinking of his family. He missed them to a certain extent. His younger sisters and his snobbish brother to a—no, he didn't really miss him.

The snap of wood whisked him out of his thoughts. The bridge shivered. He grabbed onto the rope to keep himself straight. When he turned to Ellie to see if she was alright, he heard her scream his name. "Alexander!"

He realized the wood under her had collapsed and she was about to be sent into the water below. Alexander outstretched his arm and caught her wrist before she could fall. Her fingers coiled around his arm. Her eyes troubled with fear as she exhaled, biting on her lower lip. "If I drown…j-just keep going, okay?" Alexander dropped to his knees, a vein popped in his neck with the strain as he managed to pull her up.

"You are _not_ going to drown." Alexander said stiffly, gasping through his teeth. "And before you even can, I'll jump in after you." He yanked her arm with enough strength that he fell on his back, Ellie on top of him. They blushed at the close contact before Ellie got off him, coughing into her hands.

"Well…" she said, blushing. "Let's get going."

Alexander gnawed on the inside of his cheek before bobbing his head and getting up. "A-Agreed."

-x-x-x-

When they entered the gigantic fortress, it was quite decorative. A silky velvet carpet, high ceilings assembled with wooden arches, large chandeliers. Corridors were angled through different directions. Wild dogs tied to marble pillars growled at them viciously.

Guards were nowhere to be seen.

"Wow." Ellie said, astonished. "This place isn't creepy." They stopped in front of a gigantic metal door accompanied by a lock. Solid puffs of air came out from the high fanlight above and emitted no light. "Speaking of all things creepy, how should we get up there?"

Alexander looked at the door in question. "One of us has to. It's too high and–" He tried to twist the handle which didn't budge.

Ellie turned to Alexander. "Lift me up."

Alexander exhaled. "Don't I do enough for you?"

Ellie narrowed her eyes. "Lift. Me. Up."

Alexander shook his head and went down to one knee. His hands slid around her waist, giving her an uncomfortable feeling as he hoisted her up and off the carpet. Her fingers caught the edge of the fanlight and she managed to slide through it and ungracefully throw herself to the ground. It was empty except for a girl in shackles. Akane watched her with dull eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" Akane demanded.

"Who the hell are _you_?" Ellie mirrored with equal venom. "Why are you even in here?" Ellie looked around the room for the keys to her cuffs and–_ah_! They were on a nail. Ellie went for them. They jangled loudly as Ellie crouched down to unlock the shackles. They clattered to the hard floor as Akane felt her raw wrists before smiling at Ellie gratefully.

"Hey, thanks," Akane said. "I owe you one. And to answer your question, I stood up to the bastard who runs this place for terrorizing my town and here I am. Jerks got my swords, too."

Ellie grew quiet and finally added. "If we get your swords back, will you do me a favor?"

Akane ran her fingers through her dark tresses. "Yeah, might as well."

Ellie grinned. "Now, how will we–"

Before Ellie could finish, Akane's fist made contact with the door and it shook before falling backwards, collapsing outward. Alexander stepped over it, looking at the two in confusion.

Akane smirked at Ellie. "Time to kick some ass."

-x-x-x-

**I loved the way this chapter turned out. Awkward with some spice from Akane. And let me say I loved the reviews complimenting me on the last chapter. They made me real happy so thanks everyone. :)**

**I'm halfway finished with retrieving all my OCs now I just need a sniper. So if anyone could come up with that I'll gladly accept it. **

**And about the beginnings in the usual italics – I usually bring them up as Ellie's flashbacks. The first one was from the past and the one last chapter hadn't occurred yet and so on… like the one at the beginning for this chapter it will be from the past as well. It's almost brought into a cycle past-future-past-future, etc.**

**Oh. And for a little run over for Alexander and Ellie so far just to explain their characters a bit.**

**Ellie- A girl who knows nothing about her past and tends to always want to help people when seeing visions from someone else's troubled life. She overthinks things and has quite a few robotic and ditzy qualities. She is being hunted by The World Government and joins Alexander on the sea to get away from them.**

**Alexander Currie- A guy who cares for no one but himself (and sometimes Ellie and his family), he tends to be a bit snobbish at times. He rarely smiles and is stoic and serious. Despite that, he's quite polite and is a gentleman that has a dark side. He would prefer to talk someone off the building than beat them. **

**Well, enjoy. :D**


	4. Chapter 4

_Guns clattered onto the deck as quick footsteps echoed across it_._ Puddles of blood splattered across the dark wood_._ Copper knuckles dropped onto it_._ Blood-soaked curls hid a tear-stricken face as she carried a body half her weight on her back. His head bowed_,_ hidden in a cloud of knotted blonde_. _The exposed flesh was already growing cold as the girl ascended the stairs quickly._

"_Jefferson_!"_ The girl screamed desperately_,_ barely managing to carry the body_. "_JEFFERSON_!"_ Ruffling from another doorway_,_ fluid steps came into the room that smelt of dried fruit and cloves_.

_He paused mid_-_step when he saw the bloodied pair and couldn_'_t hide the disturbed shudder that wracked his frame_. "_Dear God_, _what_'_s happened_?"_ he asked fearfully_. "_Your bone was snapped a while ago and you could possibly break the rod in your leg_. _But what has happened to him_?"

_The sobs grew in volume_. "_H-He did something really stupid_._ Let's just go with that for now_…"_ She coughed a forced laugh into her fist as Jefferson took a step forward_,_ unhooking the arms around the girl's slender neck_._ Bloody handprints on her collarbone_._ She bit into the flesh of her fingertip and shut her eyes as the body went limp in Jefferson's hands_.

_Jefferson cringed as he lifted the boy into his arms. "I_'_ll treat him, don't worry_."_ he reassured_,_ patting the girl's head like a dedicated father_. "_Don_'_t worry, dear. But are you in any pain whatsoever?"_

_The girl_'_s sobs quieted as she dug into her thoughts_. "_N_-_No_?_ My side hurts like hell…but I didn_'_t pay any mind to it because I was so freaked about him." Jefferson kept an arm enfolded around the male and bent over_._ Firm fingers prodded her stomach and ran their course smoothly below her bosom. She flinched at his touch._

"_Ah_."_ Jefferson said_. "_I believe there may be a couple ribs_._ Would you like me to treat you first in case of_-?"

"_NO_!"_ she yelled_,_ which made Jefferson drop his hand and take a step back_. "_No_,_ no_!_ I_'_ll be fine_!_ Just save him_!_ Save his life_!_ He matters more than me_!_ Please_!_ PLEASE_!"

_He sighed_,_ his voice flecked with nervousness_. "_Alright_, _fine_._ Stay outside my room_._ I_'_ll inspect your condition afterwards_."

_A weak nod and the fluid footsteps retreated back into the room_._ Right as the door shut and its lock clicked_,_ the girl sank to the ground and shook violently with those familiar sobs of loss_.

Akane dusted off her hands as she stood over an unconscious guard. She cracked her knuckles and kicked back her uncombed black hair over a shoulder. She slid the blade out of the man's heavy scabbard, hooking it to what was left of her belt. "Damn, these people don't know how to fight especially with swords like mine. Tsk, tsk…"

Alexander unhooked one of his brass knuckles. "Maybe because you really didn't give them a chance to."

Ellie grimaced at his comment before turning to Akane. "Even without your sword, you're an excellent fighter." The air felt ominous as an uncomfortable wave of emotion washed over her. "But ignore him. He's rather…ah, what's the word?"

Akane glared at Alexander but a smile crossed her face. "Serious, sexist, arrogant, unconfident of others…?"

Ellie exhaled a breath that was visible in the eerie air. "All of the above."

Alexander's brow furrowed in displeasure. "I am _none _of those things." he said with frustration boiling in his voice. He glared back at Akane. "Don't put anything in her head."

Akane's glare softened as she turned to Ellie. "Touchy, isn't he?"

"He's always like that," Ellie added. "You get used to it after a while."

"I am _right_ here, you know."

A long plum purple carpet stretched on through an endless corridor. Plates of gold armor hung on the rice-papered walls as they edged through the long corridor. Splashes and puddles of blood stained the carpet. Alexander's steps slowed until he was walking far behind Akane and Ellie. How could so much blood be in one place?

"Halt!"

"How original." Akane sighed, hand going to the hilt of her blade. She whipped around to face the three armor-clad guards. They all wielded long swords and medieval shields. Ellie's hand flew to her gun and she pulled it out of its holster yet Alexander was trapped with fear. The clanking of armor sounded as they slugged closer. Alexander placed his brass knuckle back on, feeling adrenaline surge through his body. Yet it still couldn't distract the fear.

"We'll have to kill them," Ellie spat through her teeth, her finger inches far of the trigger. "Quick."

"Wait, wait!" Alexander cried as three of the guards charged towards the two girls. Akane danced forward, sword raised as the guard swung his saber clumsily at her. Akane evaded the weak maneuver and she knocked the hilt of her sword against his breastplate. Metal crunched as she gracefully drove her sword through his chest. He crumpled to the ground, dead.

The guard Ellie faced was faster but still bore the same klutzy moments as the last. She dodged his every swing and maneuver, easily moved past him, and smirked. He swung at her again but it didn't even graze her. With a crack of gunfire, she put a bullet in his head. He sank into a puddle of red besides the soldier Akane had killed.

Alexander kept stepping back as the strongest of the three advanced towards him. "What's wrong, kid? You scared to fight?" he demanded of Alexander.

Alexander had fought many before but never in his life had he killed. He bit the inside of his cheek, continuing to step back until his back was against the wall. He felt his heart drum in his chest like a mouse's before a snake devours it. His teeth curled off his lip and he clenched his teeth. They chattered.

"I'm not scared." he said sternly but his eyes were betraying. "No, I'm not!"

The guard chortled mightily before raising his sword. It glinted in the chandelier light above. Alexander saw a faint glimpse of himself in the katana. The sword began to come down on him. He froze and felt powerless, useless. He would die right here, right now.

Would anyone miss him? Cry? Curse the heavens? Punch the floor? He just didn't know anymore. He bowed his head in shame and just waited.

…for the blow that never came.

Alexander jumped and craned his neck to see what had happened. He couldn't muffle the gasp in time when he had seen _it_.

The point of the blade was held in Ellie's gloved hands. She had a look in her eyes that craved for blood to pool at her feet. Her scarlet eyes were dark until they looked almost black like paint. With a simple yank of the blade, it dropped to the carpeted floor and he started shaking like a birdbrained fool. She touched the hem of her glove where the twine was tightened but didn't unwind it.

Akane fastened the sword at her hip and watched Ellie, intrigued. She crossed her arms over her stomach and leaned against the opposite wall.

"I-I-I-I…" The tall guard stammered. He held his copper shield in front of him.

Crow's feet emerged at the corners of her scarlet irises and a spooky aura enveloped her as she stepped closer. "I don't think you'll have to time to run." Her fist launched into his stomach and knocked him to the ground. He shook like a terrified child and her heel propelled into his ribs. A bone-shattering crack echoed through the air as Ellie turned to Alexander and Akane.

"I suggest you both close your eyes."

Alexander inhaled a forced, choked breath and shut his eyes tight. Akane's eyelids slowly flickered shut as it grew quiet. There was a final bloodcurdling, shrilly shriek and then it was silent. Alexander slowly opened one glacial blue eye, then the other.

The guard was gone and it looked as if he was never there. He realized Akane's eyes were already open as Ellie turned to him with dark eyes.

She walked over to him slowly as Akane traveled down the long, never-ending corridor. Ellie grabbed Alexander by the collar of his white dress shirt. Her mouth twisted in a snake's sneer and the glint in her eyes vanished.

Alexander looked down at her hands to see a trail of blood snaking down her wrist from underneath her right glove. He managed to hide his grimace and kept a straight face with Ellie. He could see black rings of fatigue dawdling underneath her lower eyelids. "You have to be _brave_, Alexander. Is that how you're going to act if someone tries to kill the one you love? You have to kill them before they kill you. It's a dog eat dog world out here." she mocked venomously, shoving him in the chest a little too hard. "Grow. Up."

And with that, she went down the hall after Akane.

Alexander brought a sweaty palm to his forehead before following after the two.

He _did _need to grow up.

-x-x-x-

**Sorry about this chapter it came out pretty short but I had to make it like this to complete it and to skip on to the final piece of this castle because it's coming out rushed and I want to try to finish it up soon. And also I thought I'd put up our chosen characters list so I could make it easier for myself and maybe a few others as well.**

**But don't worry all of you will appear but at its own pace. :)**

**Here's the completed list of all of the chosen ones!**

**Ellie – Co-captain **

**Alexander Currie – Co-captain (I put co-captain twice for these two because they don't believe in one actually captain. Yeah, that's pretty weird…)**

"**Trapmaster" Coran – Bodyguard to the captain or rather co-captains. (King of Stories)**

**Akane Hirugumi – Swordswoman. (Threedimensional)**

**Sabastian Allan Rhodes – Scout (War P. Anda)**

**Bryan Sayer – Lookout (shadowjohn 101)**

**Kiku Horomanta – Shipwright (RedxAlert)**

**Asce – Cook. (7saix-puppy7)**

**Ignacio Sulblack - Principal fighter (Lobombre)**

**Cari Lulok – Sniper/Sharp Shooter ()**

**Reli Solidad – Writer/Philosopher. (acro-orca)**

**Henry Ishida – Brawler. (thatasiankid)**

**An update should be soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

"_Do…do you regret killing any of those people_?"_ The marine across from Marie asked_._ Her wrists shackled behind her as she lunged with each bump in the road_._ Marie sighed weakly and shook her head. She watched the marine with sad eyes and wrinkled her nose in discomfort. The air was dank and it smelt like oil and hair grease._

"_I never did_,"_ She said distinctly_._ The marine_'_s cobalt eyes grew skeptical before it vanished when he saw her frost-laced expression_._ He glided his fingers through his slicked-back red hair. He leaned closer to her_,_ intrigue glinted in his irises, fists clenched at his thighs_._ His fingers twitched._

"_Wha_-_What_?" _he demanded_. "_You shouldn_'_t be here_!_ They can_'_t have you then_!"

"_I was the last suspect at the Chelsea_."_ she added with her gaze caught on the cobwebs in the corner of the room_._ You would think with all the money__ the lousy marines made they could've at least hired a cleaning crew_._ The seats were torn and discolored_,_ the windows coated in fog and dust, the door closed with an old-fashioned clasp that smelt like rust. Marie crossed her legs leisurely_. "_My hands were covered in blood_,_ mountains and mountains of corpses surrounded me_._ Those were the last things they caught on_-_camera_._ I_'_m a killer, kid. That_'_s all people will know me as now."_

"_First of all_,_ you_'_re the kid_!_ Kid_!"_ he said_,_ words echoing off the metal walls_. "_I_'_m eighteen_!_ You_'_re fourteen_!_ Do you know how sick this sounds_?"

_She sighed remorsefully_. "_Can_'_t change the facts_,"_ Soft light poured into the room through a crack in the door as both Marie and the guard looked to see the general reappear with a new cigar in his yellow_,_ crooked teeth._

"_Come now_,_ child_._ We are off to take you into the island_'_s prison_." _he said with a sadistic shimmer in his jaundiced eyes_. "_Prepare yourself_."

_With a shudder_,_ she got up_. "_I'm as prepared as I need to be_."

_His snakelike fingers wove through her arm and he dragged her outside_,_ leaving behind a shell-shocked marine._

-x-x-x-

_Two medics sat beside Donnie_._ The children now safe in their room_._ A petite-looking nurse dabbed his bloody shoulder with a warm washcloth_._ Another pinned gauze with a safety pin to his scarred clavicle_._ Donnie listened to the soft rustle of blankets from upstairs and sighed_._ His parents_'_ bodies placed on cots outside the house_,_ white linen pulled over their mangled bodies._

"_You okay_,_ sweetheart_?"_ The soft-eyed nurse asked_,_ concern a glimmer in her eyes_. "_You look troubled_."

_Donnie looked to the girl with betraying eyes_. "_Yeah_,_ everything_'_s fine_."

"_You don_'_t look fine_."_ The other said drily as she slapped his shoulder to show how her work was complete_.

_The soft_-_eyed nurse glared at her companion before looking back at Donnie worriedly_. "_Ignore her, honey. Just tell us what's wrong_."_ she crooned_,_ tracing circles along his palm to soothe him_._ When she saw that it did nothing, she stopped and sighed_.

"_My sister,_ _she was arrested_,"_ Donnie admitted ruefully_. "_for something she didn't even do. She didn_'_t do anything wrong and yet she ended up admitting that to save me_…"_ His voice trailed off when he noticed the small children peering downstairs_._ He ignored them. "I was just so_…_useless_."

"_So, kid_…"_ The louder nurse barked_. "_What you gonna do about it_?"

_He stared at her with blank eyes_. "_I will _never_ stop looking for her_."

-x-x-x-

The three stopped before a large set of French doors that gave out the impression of elegance. Little square windows decorated the maroon-and-gold papered walls. A velvet carpet ran from the entryway to the end of the hall.

Alexander looked hesitant. "Do…you think we should go in? I think it may be a bit rude for us to just barge in un—" Before he could complete his statement, Akane shoved through the doors and went in. Ellie followed but not without sending a warning glare to Alexander that said "Watch it."

Alexander with a soft sigh entered after them. He was greeted by a bright waterfall of sun. He closed his eyes for a moment before the light died away, reopened his blue irises, and saw the whole room was lit with strong light. The chandelier above their heads, the thousands of brooches and gem-encrusted swords scattered across the room. The sun was both burning and iridescent as a throne of pillows was sat in the heart of the room.

Ellie smiled at the glittering diamond shards on the floor. "Beautiful," she said breathlessly but tapped her gun in the holster in case the enemy were to launch a sneak-attack. "But…this seems almost like a set up."

Akane wrapped her fingers along the hilt of her blade. "Yeah…but doesn't mean we can't steal stuff." Before she could reach down for a pointy diamond, Ellie gasped and Akane whipped around. Alexander looked to where Ellie once stood to see her lifted off the ground by a tall man.

"Ellie!" Alexander cried uselessly, attaching his brass knuckles, raising his fists to pummel the man.

With a casual flick of her wrist, Ellie made him halt. The man looked aloof considering his wealth. He was strong by only lifting her up by a lower arm. Being old with dimples and lines creased on his olive skin. He had gray-streaked black hair that ducked behind his jug-like ears. He flashed his gold teeth before dropping her, chuckling like she said the funniest joke.

"Now ya people are tryin' to steal my valuables, are ya?" he asked cruelly, looking to Akane. He wore baggy clothes, a rumpled tie lay sloppy around his neck, and hung on a chain from his meaty neck was a scaly green claw that looked discolored and invaluable.

Before Ellie could open her mouth to speak, Akane took a step in front of her, crossing her arms over her chest. "Please, these aren't your valuables."

"What?" Ellie replied with mild shock in her voice. Alexander walked across the floor to help her up. She combed dust off her corset and went near Akane. "What exactly are you talking about?"

"You see all this." Akane said with a gesture of her hands. Her eyes and hands all following the jewels and artfully-crafted weapons that lay on the floor. "He threatened everyone in town to give them their valuables and if not, he and lackeys would kill 'em."

"You're a monster," Ellie snarled.

The man scoffed. "Speaks the devil child herself." And suddenly he whipped around and bent to the floor to pick a glittering object up. He possessed a heavyweight gold axe that streamed with sparkly rubies and something like a grappling hook and chain. "You've killed thousands."

Ellie took a warning step forward. "Don't test me."

Another chuckle. "I ain't scared of you. You're nothing but a kid."

She smirked devilishly. "A kid who once killed thousands…I will not be scared to kill you."

"Try me, kid!" He shouted, shoving past Akane to get to Ellie. "TRY ME!" He raised his axe over his head and Akane grabbed the hilt of her sword, ready to lunge and attack. Her eyes grew startled when she saw what happened next.

Alexander jumped in front of Ellie, brass-knuckled fists poised into a fighter's stance. He was scared. The axe would come down on him soon enough. Ellie and Akane were frozen with shock and he grinded his teeth so hard, he thought they'd break and turn into chalk-dust. He knew how to fight but, what if, what if he would die in time?

Well, he had to take that chance.

His heart was slowing to a calmer, collected pace and he shut his eyes. He could feel the wind in the attack that was coming down at him. The lines that once marred his forehead were disappearing and he felt almost invincible. "At my feet is the frost, but the sun is on the mountain. Will the eclipse occur or shall twilight appear early? Piercing ice."

He jumped and his heel propelled into the man's jaw, sending him stumbling back into a display of daggers behind him. His hands glowed blue and from the fingertips, icicles shot out, glittering, as they caught the light. Two fragments pinned his shirtsleeves to the ground before he snarled and brought himself upright, tearing his shirt in the process. He grabbed his ruby-handled axe and got off the floor.

Akane smiled at Alexander. "Good job, kid," Her head whipped back at the man. "Prepare, Roy."

He slung the axe over his shoulder and then grinned. "Oh, I'm already prepared."

The smile once for Alexander was now directed at Roy. "Bring it."

Alexander gaped when he turned to Ellie and saw her smiling at him gratefully. "I'm so proud of you." Her arms outstretched towards him and laced around his neck. Her head fit into his shoulder and he could feel her breathing on his throat. He tensed up and patted her back with a timid hand. The unsmiling teen watched as Akane slashed at Roy. "Thank you…"

He was silent and finally managed to choke out some words. Words he never thought he would say to Ellie. "You're welcome. I'm glad…I did it."

A journey can change you, indeed.

-x-x-x-

**And with that ends this chapter. The real fight will begin and then that ends this small almost Alvida-like arc; another crew member will appear as well and I actually have a question or rather question(s) for you all…**

**Anyways about the beginning words in the italics, I'll just say what it means if anyone doesn't know…**

**Every chapter Ellie receives either a future event or a past memory even if they may not even be hers and she sometimes ignores them and other times they could cause her to just lose consciousness. **

**And this time this one is about Marie and Donnie. Despite only appearing in these sort of italic events, they will play a larger part in the story.**

**Hope you all enjoy the chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

"_I cannot believe you_,_ Marie_."_ Donnie said to a figure enveloped in an emerald cloak_._ He held a glass pipe in his fingers and a frown appeared upon his raised brow_. "_Still can't believe it's been years_._ You haven't changed a bit." He placed the pipe to his mouth and exhaled_,_ talking with smoke in his words._

_Marie laughed and pulled the wide hood over her tangled hair_. "_I hope that_'_s a good thing_._ You haven_'_t aged a day_."

"_Aw_,_ Mary,_"_ he crooned_._ The size of the smoke cloud minimized itself as he spoke_. "_You make me blush_."_ Marie smiled and Donnie mirrored it with loving consideration_,_ placed the pipe on the end table_,_ and took a beer mug off the same table_. "_Tell me now_—_oh_,_ Marie_!_ Your hand_'_s bleeding_."_ He replaced the mug back on the table and advanced toward her_,_ taking her hand in his_. "_Goddamn_,_ your hand_'_s soaked_._ What happened_?"

_She looked at him with tired blue eyes_. "_I_…_I didn_'_t_…_my hand_–"_ She wrestled with her vocabulary_. "_It_'_s_…_nothing_."_ she finished_,_ stretching the bloody fingers_._ They were sticky with dried blood but the extensive gash on her palm still gushed blood_. "_Ignore it_,_ Donnie_."

_He took her blood-coated hand_. "_No_."_ he said sternly_. "_Whether you tell me or not_,_ we gotta clean your hand and_,_ at least_,_ wrap it up_._ We can_'_t just let it bleed_."

_She sighed weakly and gave in_. "_Okay_."_ Donnie silently left the room as she sat there_,_ lowering her hood and unbuttoning a couple brass buttons on her cloak_,_ baring her crinkled shirt_._ Moments later_,_ Donnie appeared with a roll of gauze_,_ a pitcher of ice water_,_ and a fistful of cotton balls_.

_He kneeled down next to her and began scrubbing her fingers clean_._ Her fingers twitched as he bound her hand in gauze. She looked to him with wet eyes_. "_T_-_Thanks_…"_ she said_. "_Donnie_,_ I_'_m sorry_."

_Donnie frowned_. "_Why_…?"_ His eyes broadened_. "_Marie_,_ what_'_s wrong_?_ You left your friends_,_ didn_'_t you_?_ I_'_m your brother_. _You can tell me anything_."

_She covered her face with her gauze_-_roped hand_. "_I_…_I_'_m terrible_._ They_'_re back_, _Donnie_!_ I should_'_ve never escaped_!"_ she whispered_. "_I have to_ _go back to them_."

_Donnie went closer and squeezed her shoulder_. "_If you go back to them_,_ they_'_ll kill you_._ I won_'_t let you do that_._ I care for you too much_."

_Marie grinned at him weakly_._ That reassuring grin she always posed when she was in trouble or hurt. It_'_s been years since he's seen that face_._ His glare softened and she patted his head with her unharmed hand and scrambled off her seat_. "_If I don_'_t come back in fifteen_,_ I_'_m gone_."

"_No_,_ Marie_!"_ he protested and grabbed her wrist_. "_Don_'_t_."

_Marie twisted her hand from his_. "_Bye_…_Don_."_ She went to the door_,_ turned the doorknob_,_ sunlight breathing into the room_.

"_Marie_!_ Marie_,_ no_!"_ he shouted_,_ arm outstretched to catch her_._ She opened the door and shut it with a click_._ His hand suddenly fell to his collarbone where he was shot as a teen. His eye twitched before he strode toward the Den Den Mushi on the dinner table_ _and turned the dial_._ After three rings_,_ someone answered_.

"_Hello_?"

"_I need your help_,_ kid_."_ Donnie seethed_. "_It_'_s an emergency_."

-x-x-x-

"That all ya got?" Roy taunted, evading Alexander's fist. His axe caught the light and shimmered like sunlight. A baby robin sang from outside. "I've eaten stronger meat then you, Blondie!"

Alexander sighed, sidestepping a swing of the man's axe. "I can see that." A bullet soared over his shoulder and clipped Roy's cheek, a path of blood trickling down to his chin.

Alexander looked over his shoulder to see Ellie smiling proudly and patted the stump of her gun. She spread her arms out and her blonde sausage curls swiveled, a threat in her garnet eyes. She raised her gun at Roy. "If you're so tough, why not attack me?"

Akane raised her sword, seeing Roy distracted by Ellie's taunting but he whipped around and knocked the blade out of her hand. It skittered across the floor. Alexander turned to Akane with a pleased smile. Rose-and-peach beams of the setting sun made the axe in Roy's hand and the sword on the marble shimmer.

"Now, that was embarrassing." Alexander said, frowning down on her.

Akane scoffed under her breath. "Speaking the guy, who just learnt to fight five minutes ago."

Roy strode past the bickering pair towards Ellie. She dropped her gun and began to unwind the spider silk off her gloves, eyes locked on him. Her finger got caught and he raised his axe. From underneath the collar of his shirt was the faint outline of a red lightning bolt. Ellie's face became a veneer of blank surprise. Her shoulders flopped as she stared at the axe coming down on her. The glimpse of red on his collarbone.

The axe's blade glinted in her eyes before it struck her knot-filled stomach, her arms wheeled, her vision blackened over with colorless sparkles. She felt something bubble in her throat, rising and preventing her from breathing correctly, then–

She vomited an ocean of blood.

"_Marie_,_ what are you painting on your face_?"_ Donnie inquired as he entered the caramel_-_painted bathroom. Marie stood in the bathroom's mirror with a damp paintbrush_._ He sat on the closed toilet seat and placed his ankle on his opposite knee_. "_You always seem to be doing something_."

"_I_'_m not doing anything wrong_,"_ she chirped in a silver_-_bell tone_._ She dipped the point of the paintbrush into a jar of red paint_,_ leaned closer to her reflection_,_ drawing an askew red stripe from her hairline to the corner of her left eyelid_,_ smiling in satisfaction_. "_I_'_m painting the lightning bolt on my face as a tribute to music_._ Momma says she wants me to send a picture to her in Pearl Shore."_

_Donnie nodded and held up a ragged photo on the marble-topped sink_._ On it was a young man_,_ maybe in the age ranges of twenty and thirty_._ A red lightning bolt stretched halfway across his face, his eyes were shut. Donnie looked from the lightning bolt on the picture to Marie who was attempting to paint it_,_ he smiled at her_. "_You're doing it wrong_."

_Marie pouted at his comment_. "_You can leave_,_ y_'_know_,"

"_Gimme_,_ I_'_ll help you_,"_ Donnie suggested as she reluctantly handed him the paintbrush. He dropped the brush into the paint and floated its thistles artlessly across her face_,_ connecting a streak to the crooked one she painted herself from the slope of her nose to her mouth_. "_Just a suggestion here,_ _never be a painter_."

_Donnie received the grin he knew he_'_d see_._ Sometimes_,_ corny jokes would make her smile_._ Suddenly her grin faltered and she looked at him with nervous eyes_. "_You still love me_,_ right_?"_ she questioned as the paintbrush slid from the bottom of her eyelid to her high cheekbone. _

"_Of course I do_,_ Marie_."_ he answered_,_ halting in his art. "Why are you bringing this stuff up_?"

"_Because…because I_'_m adopted_."_ she admitted like it was wrong_. "_I_'_m just not part of the real family_."

_Donnie sighed and shook his head_,_ tossing the paintbrush into the sink_. "_Marie_…"_ he began_. "_I_'_m adopted_,_ Lilia_'_s adopted_,_ Todd_'_s adopted_,_ Sid_'_s adopted, Clover_'_s adopted_!_ Goddammit_,_ Marie_!_ We_'_re all adopted_!_ Mom_'_s baron so she can_'_t ever have kids of her own so that_'_s why_!"_ He poked her chest with his finger_. "_So quit it_._ Don_'_t bring that up_._ No matter what you do_,_ how you do it_,_ if you die or not_,_ you_'_ll always be part of this bastard-child family_._ Capiche_?"

_Marie bit her chipped fingernail and nodded_,_ managing to hold in her tears. But when she opened her mouth to speak_,_ a strangled sob came out_._ She plucked her fingernail out from her teeth_. "_Donnie_…_I_…_I_…!"

_A hand slammed into her back and she stumbled forward into her brother_'_s chest_._ She didn_'_t move and listened to his calm heartbeat_._ She could hear her own ringing heartbeat in her ears and choked out a dry sob_. "_Shut up_,_ okay_?_ Just shut up_."

_And on cue_,_ she broke into tears._

-x-x-x-

Alexander watched in horror as Ellie crumpled to the ground in a puddle of blood. A full stab wound ripped through her corset and exposing broken flesh. Her curls spread out around her face and into her eyes like yellow fog. She was absolutely motionless and the intolerable stench of blood and rotted flesh accented the incensed air. Alexander felt as if his feet were cemented to the ground and he only looked when he heard Akane rushing past him.

"Do something, you rich snob!" Akane snarled. "You gotta keep her alive! She could die!"

The returning thought of death bubbled in Alexander's mind. He looked at Ellie's bloodied self again and could practically feel the fear flowing through his bloodstream and then he realized–

_She could die_._ Right here at this very second_.

He ran towards her and watched her on the marble. She reminded him of a broken porcelain doll or a disembodied skeleton. He brought his hands to the pulses in her wrists, shoulders, and neck.

He felt one. It was weak but was there. He breathed out a sigh of relief and craned his neck to see Roy and Akane battling–metal scraping metal, sweat and blood dripping to the floor, patches of clothing sinking into the pools of sticky blood.

"Akane!" Alexander yelled, a shudder wracked his frame. "Are you okay? Want me to help you?"

Akane smirked, not once catching his gaze as she dodged a jab from the axe's hilt. "I'll be fine, kid." she answered, swinging her sword high and managing to nick his cheek. He hissed loudly and lunged forward to thwack her with the axe blade which she dodged. "Get her out of here! I'll meet you outside!"

Alexander bit his lip. "B-But…!"

Akane snarled like a lioness. "Go!"

Alexander shook his head in disappointment and knelt down. His arms supported her back and underneath her knees as he lifted her. Her head ducked and he felt warm blood soak between his fingers. He fled out of the room, leaving the nightmarish scene behind him.

-x-x-x-

"You're a monster." Akane sneered, dodging a blow to the head. "You threaten the whole town, take their trademark medicine, lock me up for two damned weeks, and nearly kill an innocent girl?"

"If you mean the devil's child, yes. Hope I killed her." Roy answered icily. "She's a monster. She's killed many. She admits it with pride. It's sick and if I kill her, I'll get her bounty after delivering her dead self to the big honchos in the government."

"She's not a devil." Akane reasoned, a dark glow in her eye. "She's just a kid."

Roy unleashed a set of mighty guffaws. "Y-Yeah, that's a funny one! Ehehehehe!" He easily dodged the hilt of her sword. "Don't you see why she wears those gloves? She ate one of the rarest Devil's Fruit in the whole world! But it's uncontrollable so you gotta wear dark and thick clothing so it won't activate itself. It has the strength to make someone vanish from existence." He explained. "But she doesn't like using it in front of anyone except the person she should kill."

Akane's memories swirled back into her suddenly.

"_I suggest you both close your eyes_."_ Ellie said with a dark aura in her eyes. Her gloved hands balled into fists_._ Alexander fearfully shut his eyes tight and Akane's eyelids slowly flickered shut_.

_A bone-chilling screech rang through the quiet corridors_._ Akane was tempted to open her eyes and see what was going on but once she opened them, the guard was gone. She hooked her sword back onto her belt and walked past Ellie and Alexander, blood tailing down from Ellie's palm to forearm. _

_She had to admit to herself that it was unbelievably horrifying._

The handle of Roy's axe caught her shoulder and she glared at Roy. Lunging forward with her sword which he evaded easily, the sword slid across the floor and Roy looked for where Akane would strike next.

"Now, where is she?" he asked himself, gesturing around while Akane hid behind a large sapphire-armored treasure chest. When he turned his neck, Akane saw this as an opening and jumped onto his back. He stumbled and shook as Akane covered his eyes, fingers tight.

"W-What the-?" he shouted but wasn't able to finish…

…when Akane snapped his neck.

-x-x-x-

When Ellie finally reconnected all of her "memories" and the previous event that she could've evaded, she was in partial shock.

Why couldn't she have avoided it, you ask? Maybe because she was struck by a sudden vision which is a possible solution to her memory loss. Usually, she could at least dodge the attack but the blow to her chest was strong.

She could taste the blood that pooled in her mouth which was one reason she puked it across the floor mindlessly. Such wonder grew in her brain.

Who exactly were Marie and Donnie? Was she related to either one of them? Did she ever meet either of them? They seemed to be the most important people in her memories since they've appeared quite often. Marie and Donnie seemed pretty close themselves and then when Marie got whisked away by the marines, Donnie was devastated.

But _why_? Why was she taken? What did they do with her?

For as long as she knew, she's always been put away in a dungeon, locked away, and fed rice crackers and tea made with tap water. She's never once seen Marie or Donnie. Were they still alive?

Fog clouded her head and within seconds the thick clouds faded away. Was another memory already coming on?

When she saw Marie face come into view, she knew it already.

_The entryway to the mansion opened as Marie sat at the bottom of the winding staircase_,_ smoking from a cracked glass pipe_._ She breathed out smoke and leaned her head against the banister. Dark circles eclipsed underneath her eyes_,_ which were red and her lips were chapped_._ She seemed to be shaking and looked like she hasn't slept in weeks_.

_Donnie stood in the open doorframe and took a step closer to Marie_. "_Marie_!_ You better put that damned thing down_!_ Now_."

_Marie finally noticed him_,_ standing_,_ and holding the pipe to her heart as a child would when not wanting to hand over a prized toy_. "_No_!_ You can_'_t tell me what to do_,_ Donnie_!"_ She started up the stairs as Donnie dropped his keys and chased after her_,_ being much faster. He grabbed her ankle_,_ making her stumble back before she could hit her head on a stair. He locked his arms around her and caught her._

_She thrashed in his arms_,_ kicking and shouting like a captured animal_. "_Let go_,_ Don_!_ I_ _won_'_t be scared to hurt you_!_ I_'_m fourteen_!_ I_'_m allowed to do whatever I want!" Donnie_'_s grip still hadn_'_t loosened_. "_LET ME GO_!_ LET ME GO_!_ LET ME_-!"

_Donnie dropped her and when she hit her head_,_ her vision clouded over_._ Donnie pinned her down with one hand and knocked the pipe out of her hand_,_ throwing it down the stairs and smiling when he heard it crack_._ Marie's eyes widened and grew watery_. "_How could you_?"_ she asked_,_ moisture budded in her red_-_tinted eyes_. "_You just hate to see me happy_."

_Donnie laughed bitterly_. "_How could I_?_ How could _you_, Marie_?_ Do you see what you're doing_!?_ You_'_re stupid_!_ I tell you all the time to not do this_!"

"_But you do_!"_ she screamed_,_ trying to push him off her_. "_You do drugs_,_ you smoke_!_ JUST LIKE ME_._ You shouldn't be talking_!"

"_I_'_m not gonna lie_," _he admitted_. "_Every time I see you_,_ you_'_re smoking, you_'_re doing drugs, and you look like a total drug_ _fiend_,_ Marie_."

"_No_,_ I don_'_t_."_ she protested_,_ licking her dry lips. _

"_I know you_'_ll never admit it_._ Either way_,_ you_'_re no longer to leave the house unless for school or with me or our parents." Donnie told her sternly. Her jaw dropped and her lower lip started trembling._

"_That_'_s one rule I won't listen to_."_ she snarled with narrowed eyes_. "Why, you ask? _Because I don_'_t need to_._ You aren_'_t my dad_,_ Don_!_ You aren_'_t even my real bro_–"

_A backhand to the face cut her off. _

"_I_…_I_–"_ Marie stammered_. _For once_, _she had no words_.

-x-x-x-

"Oh! Nee-chan's waking up!" A sweet voice chimed in Ellie's ears. Masses of orange and green came into view before she could blink to get better vision. She saw the outlines of peach trees and vines. The shadows of silhouettes hovered over her and she craned her neck to see Hoshiko's cherubic face appear. She shifted and realized.

She was in Alexander's arms. She reached to sit up properly and slung her arms around his neck. "Alexander," she breathed and saw him raise an eyebrow but comprehend her. "Thank you."

"But–" he began with confused glacial eyes. "I didn't save you. Akane did."

The breeze ruffled Ellie's white-tinted curls and she shut her eyes, smiling. "She may have saved me today–" she said. The sweet smell of ripening peaches filled her nostrils. "But you were first to ever _want _to save me."

Alexander stood there silent, looking at her and remembering one of their first conversations.

"_Heh_,_ I didn't ask you to save me_."

"_Well_,_ be lucky_."

"_Why did you_?_ I never asked someone to help me and I'm most certain that I wouldn't ask you_."

"_Um_,_ because_…_I_…_I wanted to_!_ Okay_?"

"_Hmm_."

"_W_-_What_…?"

"_You_'_re a good kid_,_ Alex_."

"_It_'_s_…_Alexander_."

"_I know_._ But you_'_ll have to deal with Alex for a bit_."

Alexander's eyes shined. "I guess that's true." He replied.

"I know," Ellie said with a growing smile and as they leaned closer to each other's faces. Lips seconds away from meeting, hearts pounding, flushed faces going brighter–

"Hey, lovebirds!" Akane shouted from the door besides Rosalinda, who held a bowl of sliced fruit, smiling softly at the two. "Get in here already and quit the M-rated stuff in front of a baby!"

Alexander seethed in place and dropped Ellie. "We were _not_ making out!" Alexander yelled, stomping over to her furiously. "We don't even like each other."

Ellie pouted, brushing dirt off her shorts. "Thanks for the help, Alexander." she said sarcastically, looking at the wound on her stomach…which was now _gone_? That wound had been deep and bloody but now there was nothing. _How_?

Her gloves ran along her exposed stomach before Hoshiko tugged on her fingers. "Come in, nee-chan. Let's go eat."

Ellie nodded and let the child lead her.

What the hell just happened?

-x-x-x-

"_I_'_m always open for people saying I_'_m wrong because most of the time I am_."_  
_- Prince William

-x-x-x-

**And that ends the next chapter. :D I hope you all liked it because this chapter seemed to have a pretty awkward ending and I've also seen a few of you ask what order the other members will come in but I'm sorry to say this. I can't really answer that for you all yet because I'm still deciding myself.**

**For the extra facts-  
- Despite Alexander and Ellie having their kiss cut off here they will their own longer personal scene soon.  
- If anyone didn't notice in the Marie and Donnie flashback, Marie is attempting to paint David Bowie's red lightning bolt on her face. **

**Also just as a finishing note for the last little italics thing with Marie and Donnie (the one where Donnie backhands her). I made it cut off like that on purpose because that's where you lovely people come in! Since I was planning to end that little that little memory off but I decided for a little proposition to come in.**

**Whoever guesses what will happen next in that little scene (or at least comes close) will get there character to appear next in the story. :) **

**So try it out if you like!**


	7. Chapter 7

A girl ran through the damaged streets of Nova Town. Her champagne-colored hair flowing like a holiday streamer behind her as she swooped through the streets.

"Halt, thief!" A commanding voice shouted from behind the girl. She grinned and heard the shop owner curse her. Her masquerade blue eye-mask shrouded her eyes and someone loaded a handgun in the distance.

Expecting this, she smiled and ducked her head before completing a straight set of cartwheels to avoid the bullets aimed at her. Once she seized the brown bag filled high with loaves of warm bread and a single bar of butter, she found her next route.

The shop owner glanced through the dead-end way, snapping his fingers, frowning, before stomping away. "Damn her. I really need to start baking rat poison into that bread..."

She swung her legs over the ledge and laughed. "That was easy." she said proudly. "It gets easier every day." She cleaned dust off her leather costume and stood, removing her mask to scratch her eyes before she replaced it over her face.

"It does, huh?" A man's voice spotted with ice asked. A brow rose high on her unsmiling forehead, a smirk popped onto her mouth as she whipped around. Indeed, a man stood behind her, centimeters away. His orange hair was spiked and he had brown irises, a light tan, slightly visible muscles. From the neck down, bandages concealed everything aside from his fingers, toes, and heels. He wore a red buttoned shirt trimmed with gold, exposing bandages on his abdomen. Red shorts also lined in gold and casual sandals.

"It's you again." she said casually, clicking the toes of her boots together. "Do you always have to sneak up on me? After a while, it really doesn't scare me."

He shrugged. "I don't mean to scare you. This is where you come every day to run. Committing more crimes each day, I'm surprised you haven't killed anyone yet."

The frowns on her forehead thickened in her smirk. "But I have," she answered. "You're just never around to see. Why, look so calm? I'm a danger to humanity."

"Please, you're harmless, and I'm always calm."

She shook her head and the smirk lingered. "When we first met, you'd yell at me a lot. It seems you're getting used to it."

"I don't get why you do though." he said leisurely. "It's as if you do for your own personal gain."

"That, my enemy," She wagged her index finger at him. "Is a lie."

He smiled. "Is it?"

She nodded. "Yes," She turned to leave but a hand caught her wrist, yanking her back. She turned around to see his face across from hers. The smirk dropped. "Now..._what_?"

"We've spoken many times." he responded, releasing her wrist. "Tell me. What's your name?"

The smirk returned. "Strawberry Vixen." Gesturing to her blonde hair and mask.

"Your _real _name." he said with a frown. "Not the bounty-termed one."

"Who says that's not my real name?" she inquired, kicking a handful of pebbles off the ledge. "It could be for all you know. What's _your _name?"

"Sabastian." Sabastian answered clearly. "Tell me, come on. What's yours?"

The Strawberry Vixen shrugged. "I'll tell you some day." She folded the bag under her elbow and took a couple of centimeters back. "If we meet again, that is."

She let herself fall and in a graceful arc, she somersaulted off the building, landing on the roof of a candy shop. Sabastian had his arms crossed and a light smile and said. "I'm pretty sure we will."

Without looking back, she smiled.

-x-x-x-

"Berry-chan, Berry-chan!" A sweet child's voice cried up ahead as the blonde dropped the bread onto the sewage floor. A crowd of children ran to where she and the bread were. They were dressed in rags but dropped beside the food with beaming faces and took two each before starting to eat. "Thanks, Berry-chan!"

The blonde sat with them, already used to the intolerable smell. "Don't mention it, child." she said, stroking the red hair of a kid eating beside her. "Any of you need anything else?" She peeled off her mask and placed it in her lap. Her hazel eyes shined.

They shook their heads. "You do so much already, Berry."

An older child looked at the scars checkered across her arms. "Every time we see you..." he began, talking with his mouth full of sesame bread. "You always seem to have more scars." His lumber-colored eyes glazed with confusion. "Why is that?"

The girl laughed and waved a hand nonchalantly. "No reason. I just always fall a lot when I'm running." She decided not to tell them the real reason. They were kids. "Clumsy me!"

He nodded and blinked, not believing her. "I see," He settled with her answer, taking one last glance at her scarred arms.

A brunette near him giggled. "You're so clumsy, Berry!"

Berry smiled softly. "Aren't I?" she asked.

"Haha, clumsy…" A golden-haired girl joked and the group broke out in hysterics.

The vixen smiled and dug into her pocket, pulling out a sheet of paper, folded multiple times. The corners ripped, the paper yellow.

_Dead or Alive_:_ Strawberry Vixen –**B**500_

She crumpled the poster into a ball and tossed it over her shoulder into the sewage water, watching as it was swept away into a tunnel of garbage. She sighed and crossed her ankles.

If they only knew.

-x-x-x-

"_One isn_'_t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest_."  
- Maya Angelou

-x-x-x-

**Sorry this chapter is much shorter than the rest but I just wanted to add a little minor chapter for the story a different point of view and as for who won the mini contest that would be War P. Anda. **

**Despite the answer being simple that was pretty much of how it would be. With the acceptation of Marie saying she hates him, he bitch-slaps her again and then War P. Anda's answer explains pretty much the rest.**

**I hope you all enjoy this stupidly short chapter! I do promise that the next one will be longer and Sabastian and the Strawberry Vixen will make another appearance! Bye, bye for now!**


	8. Chapter 8

_Two fingers stabbed a cigarette onto a scarred copper ashtray_, _wisps of smoke fading into the warm summer air_. _Hands went to knees as the male leaned closer to the man across from him_, _eyebrow raised and dents creasing the space between his brows_.

"_Tell me what happened_." _he urged_. _His hand found the long neck of a champagne bottle_. _He set it between his thighs and uncorked it_. _Frothy bubbles burst out and onto his clothes_. "_She just took off_, _I got that_. _You called me because she came to you and left_, _right_?"

_A filthy_, _cracked glass pipe sat on the coffee table_, _a memento of the past_. _His eyes lingered on it for a moment_. "_I couldn_'_t stop her in time_. _She told me she was with your crew_." _Palms fell flat on the coffee table_, _rattling a vase of flowers_. "_I_'_m a terrible brother_! _I should_'_ve stopped her_. _Damn_, _I wasn_'_t thinking_!"

_The blonde's eyebrow lowered as he slid a cigarette out from the case on the table_. _Anxiety whirled through his brain as he lit his cigarette the wrong way_. "_You_…_you aren_'_t useless_. _If anyone_'_s useless_, _it_'_d be me_. _She must_'_ve left early_. _What time did she get here_?"

_The brown_-_haired one turned to the clock on the wall_, _squinting_, _closing his eyes in thought_. "_About_…_four_?" _he assumed_. "_She already had keys to the place_. _Don_'_t ask me how_." _He looked at the table by the door_, _a circle of untouched keys_. "_She came in_, _scared_, _like someone was chasing her_. _I thought she just came for a visit_, _you know_, _for the hell of it but she was in such a rush_. _Her hand_, _the whole thing_, _was just soaked in blood."_

_The blonde shut his eyes and mused to himself inwardly_. '_That explains the blood on my desk_.'

_Noticing him_, _the brown-haired one looked to the blonde suspiciously_. "_You know something about this_, _kid_?"

_The blonde reopened his eyes and nodded_. "_Yeah_…_to some sort. There was blood on my desk this morning but I didn_'_t think much of it_." _He chose not to tell his friend the full story_. _It_'_d only arise panic_. _Neither of them wanted that_. "_But_, _Don_…" _His words dropped into a pit of oblivion and his irises rolled around_.

"_It_'_s been a while since someone has called me that_." _Donnie said with an icy chuckle_. "_Except Marie_, _I suppose_. _She only calls me by my actual name when she_'_s mad_."

"_Tell me what she_'_s like_." _The blonde pleaded_. "_I haven_'_t known her as long as you…but tell me all you know_. _I want to be close to her_, _try to be her friend_."

_Another ice-coated chuckle sounded_. "_Marie_'_ll be pissed if I do_." _He pushed the ashtray away out of his view and leaned back in his leather wingbacked chair_. "_But she isn't here now_, _is she_?"

"_Marie and I_…" _He began and then it all faded into darkness_.

Hoshiko squeezed Ellie's hand. "Thanks so much, nee-chan." Her cherubic face was bright with a dazzling smile and she lifted an orange slice off her plate, gnawing a corner. "You were so, so helpful!"

Ellie leaned back in the cane-barred chair in the dining room. "Thank Akane, too. She's done so much more and she even knew how to make the medicine."

A terribly childish pout replaced the smile on the child's face. "But still," She didn't release Ellie's hand as she took a huge gulp of apple juice. "I love you a lot, nee-chan."

Ellie's heart lurched and she felt nauseous. As far as she could remember, she's never heard anyone convey their love for her. It brought a warm feeling into her stomach and her eyelids flickered shut. "Thanks."

"Nee-chan, don't thank me." Hoshiko said, sweeping bronze ringlets away from her face. "You're so sweet and—oh! Your eyes changed color! How pretty!" Sparkles glittered in the girl's pink irises.

Not believing the child for a moment, she took a soup spoon off the table, gazing at her reflection. Her eyes had indeed changed color. They were now a brilliant amethyst. Ellie blinked and squinted, hoping they'd change right before her but nothing had happened.

Damn.

How the hell did that happen?

Envy washed through Hoshiko's gaze and she grinned, a great set of dimples fell around her tiny mouth. "Pretty," she chimed and craned her neck to look at Alexander, who was lecturing Akane before she turned back to Ellie, still smiling. "You like him, don't you?"

Ellie nodded. "Yeah, he's nice."

Hoshiko shook her head. "No, no! Like, _like, like _him."

Ellie blinked and raised an eyebrow. "Oh," she said, her eyelids flickered. "Um, no?"

Hoshiko deflated like a wheel without air. "Why so confused, nee-chan?"

Ellie winded a white curl around her third finger in thought. "No, it's nothing. No one's ever really asked me that. It's just different, that is. Yes, different." She convinced herself because she didn't like Alexander now, did she? Alexander was just…_Alexander_. She's grateful to him so she joined him. What exactly did he go out to sea for, anyway? He never really gave her an answer, maybe because she never thought to ask.

Sticking to that subject, she didn't know much about Alexander. He's secluded and only allowed himself to say a few things about his life or anything for that matter. Ellie may not even be her birth name. She only figured that because her wanted poster said "Ellie" and The World Government officers labeled her as "mother of the devil."

Yet why were all these memories suddenly coming back to her? Some not even hers. Could that recent one have been from the future?

_How is that_?

Cue sighs here. So many questions, so little answers.

"Ellie," Akane called from the living room. Rosalinda sat on a feather-bloated pillow on the carpet, a needlepoint cushion and two spools of twine in her lap. "You kinda missed how Hoshiko had to take her medicine. It was pretty memorable."

Ellie walked over, tugging on the sleeve of her trench coat and buttoning her coat to hide her corset. "And how would that be exactly? Wouldn't she just…drink it?"

Alexander shook his head and turned to the door. A blue jay chirped on a twisted branch. "She had to _snort _it."

From afar, Hoshiko giggled and a filmy scene swirled through Ellie's mind.

_Marie hustled down the stairs with a raisin bagel in her mouth_. _Her blonde hair thrown on top of her head messily_, _flowing strands lashing in her eyes_, _a hand trailing the banister_. _Her blue_-_green long-sleeved shirt and white skirt were rumpled, one dark stocking halfway up her leg_, _the other rolled down to her ankle_. _She climbed into her loafers but before she could get out the door_, _a tug on her ankle stopped her_. _She looked down to see one of her younger sisters gazing up at her._

_Wide orchid_-_colored eyes and an infectious smile_. "_Where you goin_', _Mary_?"

_Marie slid her ankle out of the girl's hand and raised her stocking_. "_Work_, _loser_! _I woke up late and…and_—_damn_! _It_'_s raining_!" _She looked around for an umbrella_, _having no luck in finding one. She pulled on the door handle_, _successfully opening it_, _and turned back_. "_Tell Sid and Donnie_, _I_'_m going to work_, _okay_, _Hana_?" _She walked outside but didn't close it_. "_Be back at three_!"

"_Wait_!" _Hana shouted but the door slammed before she could stop her_. "_Jeez_, _Mary_, _you_'_re such a mess_…"

_Yet when the clock struck three_, _Marie still wasn_'_t back_.

_She was on a friend's patio_, _lighting a cigarette as rain pinged on glass_. _Mascara oozed down her cheeks and her wet blonde hair was matted to her neck_, _her clothes stuck to her body in icy folds_. _The screen door slid open and a male teen exited. _

_Marie smiled and held out a hand_. "_You got it_, _Emmett_?"

_He grinned knowingly_. "'_Course_," _He handed her a glass pipe and she clenched it like a diamond_.

"_God_, _I love you_, _Emmett_." _Marie said_, _the drunkenness in her face grew stronger_. "_So much_, _so much_…" _She buried her head into his shoulder and released a light_, _wispy breath_. "_I never want this day to end_."

"_Me too_, _Marie_. _Me too_." _Emmett said_, _slurring the last three words_. "_It_'_ll never end_."

_Oh yes_. _It will_.

Ellie managed to detain the ear-shattering scream she urged to release but started shaking as it sunk into the pit of her stomach. Alexander noticed it but said nothing. Turning to Akane, his glacial irises were questioning. The blue jay skipped off the branch and went to the sky, wings beating in a wild blur of blue as it soared, joining its flock in the sky's horizon.

"Hey, Akane." Ellie muttered, her heart thundering in her chest. "You know…you should join us."

"Join you guys?" she repeated, brushing her dark hair over a bruise. "Hmm, sounds nice."

Alexander shook his head. "No…it doesn't." He got up from his seat and took Ellie by the wrist. "We need to talk."

He led her out the door, past Blake cutting wood on a chopping block, shirtless, brown in the sun. He rubbed the sweat out of his eyes and continued to bring his axe onto the lumber with a strong arm, roped with veins.

Ellie watched him until Alexander squeezed her arm to get her attention. "How could you let someone join us? Really! I can barely tolerate you!" he whispered in vain, the faint outline of a vein forming on his temple.

Ellie nodded and a venomous smile caught her face. "Thanks, Alexander. You sure know how to make a girl feel welcome."

Alexander growled, annoyed, and rubbed his temples with his fingertips. "You know, that's not what I mean. It's just…it'll be different from here on out, y'know."

Ellie's smile lost its venom. "No matter what, it'll always be different, Akane or not." She patted his forearm gently before bringing her hands into her coat pockets. Blake continued working, unnoticing the conversation between the two. Slabs of split wood falling onto the dirt.

"Want me to go on in and tell Akane that she's in?" Ellie asked, placing the heel of her boot on the blonde stairs.

Alexander pushed past her. "No, let me. I wasn't too nice."

Ellie stepped back and ran her gloved fingers along the banister. "Suit yourself." she said as he ascended the steps and entered the house through the open door. The smell of ripe oranges and grapes filled the air. When Ellie reached to sit on the bottom stair, a huge quake rocked the house and frowns came upon her brow. Hoshiko's giggles rang through the house, glass shattered, and a string of vulgar curses.

Ellie smiled to herself and Blake chuckled, placing down his axe. He went to Ellie and looked at her like a father would to his daughter. He scratched her ringlets until her scalp burned and unleashed a wild set of guffaws. "Come on, kid. Why don't you come inside? Enjoy the relaxation while it lasts."

Ellie nodded and stood up from the creaking step. "Okay, I will. I will." She laughed and watched Rosalinda stitch the sleeve of a slightly torn ruby frock. Blake and she caught each other's eye. He winked at her as he headed in. The door remained open.

"_You promised me_! _You told me you never met her_, _you two_-_faced bastard_! _How could you lie to me_?"

Ellie got off the porch and brought her hands to the banister, bringing herself higher. She stood, balanced, on the banister, climbing onto the roof until leaning against the chimney, watching the clouds surf across the sky.

"Damn it," she pledged. "I really need to find out what these visions are before they kill me."

-x-x-x-

"Has anyone ever seen your face?" Sabastian asked the blonde burglar as they sat on the roof together. Cardinals and robins sailed across the sky, feathered wings fluttering, blurs of orange and red. "Since I sure haven't."

She lifted her shoulders and pointed at her mask. "Tons of people, actually, but those people don't know about this."

"Are they supposed to?" he asked, raising a brow.

She shook her head and unclipped the leather satchel from around her waist and placed it in her lap, unzipping it, yanking out a burnt cigarette, and chucking it over the ledge. "Not really. It wouldn't be good if someone recognized me."

Sabastian sighed. "I guess so." He saw a burn scar on her arm. It went from the crease of her elbow to her wrist in a crooked trail. "How'd you get that?"

She looked away. "I'd…rather not talk about it."

Sabastian nodded. "Can you at least tell me whether it was recent or not?"

"Yes and no."

"I'm sorry."

She shrugged, her fingertips traced the discolored flesh. "Don't be. It doesn't matter. It happened. We can't do anything about it now. In some way, I kind of deserved it."

Sabastian caught her shoulder. He felt her flinch and shake his hand off, clenching her teeth through her lips. He brought his hand to his knee and looked behind him. A wispy tail of smoke swirled up to the moon. "No one deserves to get hurt. No matter the act committed."

She laughed. "I agree wholly." She saw a fire, saw where it was.

The local orphanage where some of the kids she delivered food lived.

"Damn it, damn it!" she swore loudly, jumping up. "Goddamn! Oh, God. Damn it."

Sabastian stood after her, holding his hands up in defense. "What. What? What happened?"

She touched his shoulder and reached to go past him. He snatched her wrist and she tried to throw him off. "Let go! I'll tell you later! Come on! Let me _go_!"

"If you go in there, you'll be killed." he said. "Don't do it."

She finally twisted her wrist free. "It's better than what I'm doing here."

Before he could reach her, she dove off the roof, landing on her feet like a practiced trapeze artist. She begun to sprint to the rising fire. Sabastian sighed and shook his head. "Might as well go after her," He released another heavy exhale before climbing off the roof.

-x-x-x-

"And we are officially leaving." Alexander announced as he and Ellie walked back to the boat. "This was one of the longest days of my life." He looked to see Ellie's silence. "Well, you're awfully quiet today. Something wrong?"

Ellie shook her head, causing her blonde ringlets to sway. "No, just kind of tired." She popped her collar slightly and remembered her ripped corset. "And I'm in need of a new shirt."

"I don't know how you wear those slutty-looking things." he said with a dry groan. "They're just so weird."

A fist to the gut stopped Alexander in his tracks. "No criticizing the clothes, bastard."

Alexander glared. "I'm not scared of you,"

The smooth barrel of Ellie's pistol rested on Alexander's chest. His heart became faster and he stepped cautiously away from her. Ellie smirked and tossed her pistol back into its leather holster.

"Face it," Ellie spat, giggling. "You are scared of me, you always will be, and you can't get that through your head."

"I-I'm not scared of you." he stammered. Damn, he couldn't even convince himself!

A smile crept to Ellie face as she saw Hoshiko wave goodbye. Blake's arms swung around his pregnant wife's waist. She turned back to Alexander, shoving her hands into her pockets. "Sure, sure. Whatever you say."

Alexander stopped in his tracks. "Shouldn't we wait for Akane?"

"No need to." A soft voice chimed and Alexander looked to see Akane sitting on the deck with a full bag in her lap, sword at her feet. She smiled and her tangled hair swirled into her face. "I had a feeling Alexander might try to ditch me, so I beat you to it, kid."

Alexander frowned and climbed onto the boat, undoing the top buttons of his old shirt. "I-I wasn't trying to ditch you."

Ellie climbed onto the boat and Akane turned to her. "He's not a very convincing liar, is he?"

Ellie wore a broad smirk. "Never was."

From afar, Alexander seethed. "Shut up!" he said, blushing.

Is all fair in love and war after all?

-x-x-x-

The blonde thief ran toward the orphanage as blackened wood cracked onto the cobblestone sidewalk. In the arms of the elderly caretakers were the cowering orphaned children, shuddering, tears in their eyes. Sirens barked through the air.

The blonde ran to an elderly woman, who rocked a toddler in her arms, frowns forming on her ruddy face. "What happened?" she asked the woman. "How'd the fire start?"

She shook her head, sounding like she had one too many cigarettes. "I'm not entirely sure. A few delinquents, I heard. They were lounging around here and one threw a lighter at the daffodils in the front." Her shaky fingers directed to the charred hedges. "And then…they ran. Most of the children were saved but little Rosalia, oh dear–"

Fear boiled in her voice. "What, _what_? What happened to her?"

The woman shook her head. "She's in the—what are you–wait, stop! It's dangerous in there!"

"So is walking across the street!"

She entered the sweaty, fire-struck building, the windows rained glass shards, scattering them across the grass. Once she was in, she was enveloped in a coat of heat. Smoke was everywhere and she was sweating more than she could breathe. The distant wail of sobs echoed in the downstairs bathroom. The stairs blocked off by flames.

Planks of floorboards from upstairs disintegrated and collapsed, breaking out through the ceiling. She was trying to count the minutes. "I gotta make this quick!" She ran to the bathroom door, waggled the door handle but it didn't budge. "Open up!" she screamed to the screaming child on the other side. "I'm here to help!"

From inside, a girl screeched. "B-B-But I-I-I'm scared!"

The blonde swore blindly under her breath. "Fine, stand back!" Hoping she did so, she raised her leg and thrust her heel into the door, knocking it back against the wall. It creaked as it blew back onto the bathroom tiles. Rosalia cowered in the bathtub. Smoke flooded the room. The fox-masked girl ran to the girl and scooped her up, holding her in one arm.

"It's okay, it's okay," she coaxed, running to the exit to find it plugged with smoking heaps of wood. The girl sobbed into her neck, snot and tears, as she ran toward the window, unlacing her boot with one hand, and throwing it at the window. Glass splattered across the burnt rug and the girl ran towards the broken window, crawling through it. She took the blunt of the broken glass to protect the girl, shards of it sinking into her foot.

When she made it outside with the girl unharmed, she let Rosalia run to her caretakers. She dropped to her knees and placed her head between her elbows. Despite everyone's victorious cheers, Sabastian watched and she finally realized why her face felt so cold.

It was the first time she cried in four years.

-x-x-x-

**That ends yet another chapter. Told you all it would be much longer then the last. :)**

**I wanted to finish this up quickly to show more of the other OCs (Miss Mystery and Sabastian.) They'll both appear in the next chapter.**

**And I also know the OCs who'll appear next but that'll be a secret so far.**

**Here's some other OCs who'll appear in the upcoming chapters.**

**- Elijah Currie  
- Sondra Currie  
- Lauren Preston  
- Sean Preston**


	9. Chapter 9

_What shall be left of me after this day_?

_Marie strode across the cobblestone trail in her _"_work_" _clothes_. _Her blonde locks left ill_-_kempt and clenched to her slender collarbone and neck_._ She had dilated pupils and wrinkled her nose every so often_. _She_ _had all traces_ _of makeup cleaned off her face but that did nothing to hide the bruises on her face_.

_Marie went through the pocket of her skirt and grabbed a small circle of keys_._ The jangling keys slid from fingers and into a puddle of mud_. "_Oh no_," _she mumbled and dropped beside the mud puddle_._ She sunk her hands through it in dire search of the keys_. "_Damn_,_ damn_…"

_"You make me sick_."_ A venom-sewn voice spat from behind her_._ Marie squinted and realized it was only Donnie leaning against a closed door_. _How long had he been standing there_? "_God_,_ Marie_. _What happened to you_?"

_Marie shook her head and continued to search for the keys_. "_I_…_I don't know_."

_Donnie took a step closer, giving the rain permission to soak him_. "_What_'_re you looking for_?"

_Frowns began to shape Marie_'_s forehead_. "_My_…_dignity_."

_He coughed out a bitter laugh_. "_I think you lost that a long time ago_."

_Marie was successful in finding her keys and left them on the freshly_-_mowed lawn. She wiped her muddy hands on her skirt and sat in silence_._ She didn_'_t cry or scream like he thought she would but nodded and said_. "_Me too_…"

_Donnie took a cautious step closer_. "_Why_'_d you come back then_?"

_"Because I couldn't do it anymore_."_ she said helplessly_,_ grasping the yellow-green blades of grass under her_.

_He raised an amused brow_. "_Is it because you couldn_'_t do anymore or _wouldn't_ do anymore_?"

_She shook her head_. "_I wouldn_'_t_."_ she replied_. "_That_'_s why Emmett told me to leave_._ He kept pushing, pressuring me to do more and more drugs_._ I_…_I couldn't though. So I ran back here because this is the only place where I_ _know I_'_m safe_."_ When she turned to Donnie_,_ he discovered bruises on her face_. "_Because I know if I do_,_ I won't be able to stop_._ If I have one drink_,_ I_'_ll want the whole bottle_."_ She laughed poisonously_. "_And then Emmett smacked me and I ran because I was so scared_…_and now I_'_m here_."

"_I_'_m proud of you_,_ Marie_,"_ Donnie knelt beside her_._ He hauled her by the elbow to her feet_._ She seized hold of her brother_'_s sleeve to keep herself balanced and sighed_,_ defeated_,_ head lowered in embarrassment_. "_I_'_m truly proud of you_."

_His words of comfort lessened the ache in her heart_._ She didn_'_t raise her head_. "_T_-_Thanks_…"

_Donnie smiled and patted her arm_. "_Don't mention it_._ Come on, kid_,_ let's get you inside before you catch a cold_."

_She nodded slowly and Donnie's smile fell as he went on ahead of her_._ A startled whimper and the wheeling of an arm flashed in the corner of his eye_._ He directed his attention back to Marie to see her hunched forward on the ground_,_ unconscious_._ Eyes closed and a frown high on her forehead_._ She lay on her side_,_ her head ducked into the crease of her forearm_._ Her cheeks were brighter_ _and fatigued and her breathing was heavier than normal_._ Donnie knelt beside her and placed a hand on her forehead_._ He felt a fever._

_Donnie sighed and retracted his hand_. "_Great_,"_ he murmured to himself_. "_She_'_s sick_. _Just great_…"

Ellie woke up, gasping, with a heart-twisting jump. She leaned back against her pale bedframe and threw the rumpled bedcovers to the opposite end of the bed. Her lustrous, white-streaked ringlets tickled around her face, flushed. A word that typically came to mind when describing either Marie's face or her own. This was in her head often but it may or may not be possible to be related to Marie. But their features were so similar.

Blonde hair, pale skin, flushed face.

Ellie looked through the mirror in her room, smoothing down her curls and going back to her tattered corset. Her fingers ran through the slashed fabric to touch her stomach. How could she forget to change last night? She wasn't _that_ tired.

Eh, whatever.

Ellie left the mirror and went in-route to the closet, sliding it open, greeted by plastic garment bags. She unzipped the closest one, removing a short-sleeved shirt with the print of a red-blue lightning bolt. The collar was frayed and on the center of the lightning bolt was the initials "DB."

"_I_'_m painting the red lightning bolt on my face as a tribute to music_."

Ellie heart made a turn and she ran her fingertips across the design. "Just a coincidence." she mused to herself mentally. "A mere coincidence."

Without any additional thoughts, she slid on her leather boots and left the room.

Ellie walked out of her cabin and ruffled her curls, squinting at the sun when she got to the stairs. Akane looked away from her sword to smile at Ellie. "Morning, kid," she greeted, hooking the sword onto her repaired belt. Her black hair untangled and molded into neat odango pigtails on either side of her head. Her once-crazed eyes were soft and the ripped clothing she donned previously was exchanged for cleaner garments (black hakama pants, red garments covering her upper body, and casual sandals.)

While Alexander lay against the railing, his mouth hanging open, sleeping. The buttons on his shirt were all undone and exposed his chest which shouldered a burn scar. He was unmoved by Akane and Ellie's presence. Ellie walked closer to him and nudged his ribs with the toe of her boot. He was unfazed, shifting to the side.

"Hmm," Ellie said musingly. "Should I or should I not wake him up?"

Akane traced a finger along her face. "Just wake him up. Gently, though. Because we don't necessarily know what he'll do…"

Ellie removed a pistol from its holster and aimed at the sky. "Please, I'm not scared of him. He's harmless." She spun the gun in her hand before she smoothed her finger over the trigger. "He's more scared of me then I am of him."

She pulled the trigger and the crack of a bullet rang through the ocean air. Akane looked unfazed by the sound but it was enough to make Alexander nearly fall off the ship. Ellie lowered her gun, placing it back in its holster. "Morning, Alex." she chimed. "Hope you had a nice nap."

Alexander rubbed the bruise-colored rings under his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, shut up." he answered, tugging down the sleeve of his wrinkled shirt. He looked down at the healthy scar on his chest and begun messily buttoning his shirt. "Goddamn…" he swore, forbidding himself from meeting Ellie's eyes at the second, turning to Akane. "I'll be right back…I…" Without leaving any other words, he jogged past the two and sprinted down the stairs towards his cabin.

"Whoa." Ellie said, blinking when she heard a door slam.

Akane stood up. Motherly concern in her calm gaze. "Should I go check if he's alright?"

Ellie shook her head and picked his cigarette case up off the deck, opening it, and pulling out a salt-scented cigarette. "No, he'll be fine. He's a man. Men have to be strong."

Akane shrugged. "Suit yourself." The thin outline of another town came into view. Short buildings and a lengthy corn field also revealed itself. Akane smiled as she saw something flutter close to Ellie. "Ellie, look."

A butterfly flapped past her. Its body was fully black and its wings light blue. Circles spotted its fragile wing texture. Ellie reached out to touch it but it flew through her fingers, continuing toward the town.

Words flooded her mind: fragile, beautiful, extraordinary.

Ellie balled a hand into a fist and took a deep exhale, continuing to watch the town rock into view. Alexander still hadn't appeared back on the deck. Surprise and concern rolled into Akane's brain. She found it weird. Was he really alright?

Suddenly a little thump alarmed Akane. She looked to see Ellie lying on her back, one gloved palm pressed against her forehead, the other flat on the baseboards. She looked to be at complete peace and her breathing was relaxed. It was almost as if she'd fallen asleep while standing.

Akane stepped closer to the unconscious girl, pressing her fingertips to her wrist to check her pulse and she smiled. She ruffled the blonde's curls and squeezed her knee. "Have a nice sleep, Ellie."

_Quick hands undo a leather belt and broken_-_heeled boots are unzipped and thrown to blood_-_specked mats_. _Surgical scissors cut through a red_-_stained ivory frock coat and the mangled sleeves drop to the ground_. _Needles connected to IVs pierce the sticky flesh of a girl as she opened her eyes_,_ looking up at the doctors hovered over her._ "_Oh_, _that_'_s General Fuchs_'_s coat_…"

"_It_'_s okay_, _it_'_s okay_," _The doctor crooned_, _sweeping a cloud of blonde off her face_. _He turned to a quivering nurse_. _Two other medics sponged the blood bubbled around her leg wounds_. "_Turn up the IVs_. _Don_'_t just stand there_!"

_She nodded and bit down on her lower lip_. _She increased the IV pressure and the patient_'_s eyelids flickered twice as she turned her head_, _glaze in her eyes_. _The doctor pumped his gloved palms across her chest and turned to the remaining doctor_. "_Get me a needle and thread_. _This isn't looking so good_."

_The eyelids flickered once more before shutting slowly_. _An oxygen mask was placed over her mouth and she inhaled a hoarse breath_. "_What happened to General_ _Fuchs_'_s_? _What happened_?"

"_He_'_s coming,_ _he_'_s coming_." _The doctor said with false knowledge as he stitched a gash on her arm with black thread_.

_The blonde shook her head_. "_No_…_no_…"

"_Damn_. _We're losing her_…" _The doctor said as he finished sewing up the wound_. "_Turn up the IVs_."

_The blonde raised her head before dropping back on the metal under her_. _She coughed blood on the inside of the mask and a nurse undid it to clear her airway_._ Blood splashed and dripped down_ _her chin_. _Two other nurses frantically sought to clean her face until the electric doors pinged_.

_A couple walked in_,_ staring in horror at the bloody girl_. _The man split from the woman and stepped closer as they took the girl_'_s blood pressure_. _Palms repeatedly inflated her chest_, _trying to keep the girl_'_s heart beating_.

_A nurse looked at the man_. "_G_-_General Fuchs_?"

_General Fuchs_?

More names. They just kept coming. Marie, Donnie, Hana, Sid…

Ellie's eyelids fluttered a few times before she pressed a gloved palm to the deck and sat up. Her curls swiveled in the breeze. She combed dust off her shorts and saw that she was still on the main deck. A note was taped by her hand. The paper crinkled in her hands. She unfolded it and frowned.

_Ellie_—

_Akane and I have decided to check the town out_. _We_'_ll return soon so stay on the ship and don_'_t do anything rash because I'm envisioning what you're planning already._

_Other than that_, _enjoy your time alone_.

_Sincerely_, _Alexander_

Ellie crumpled up the note and threw it over the boat. She stood up and looked at the new town. Nova Town. Long strands of wheat swept back and forth. A charred orphanage was hidden under a white tent. Stubby buildings remained unlit. The sun broke through gray clouds, the color of pearl.

"I don't have to listen to him." Ellie mused, referring to Alexander. She climbed onto the railing and jumped off, performing a fluid somersault. "I'll enjoy the alone time…while it lasts."

Saying those last words, she headed into town.

-x-x-x-

Alexander walked, looking everywhere. Children clutched the hands of their parents as they guided them down the streets. Ripped wanted posters hung across windows and cracked alleyways. Alexander stopped to investigate one. Flowy blonde hair swirled in a porcelain face. Dull irises pointed at a graying sky, mouth hung open. An angry fire behind her roared on like a dragon. In the circle of her arms was a crying girl and her leather outfit was charred.

Alexander ripped the poster off the wall, tearing a corner, as he scrutinized it further. "Is that really her?" he asked himself mentally. "Can't be, she's not allowed to…"

"Hey, Alexander." Akane called, tapping his shoulder. She looked at the poster in his shaking fingers and watched the color drain from his face. "Hey, you okay? You look…horrified."

Alexander shook his head and exhaled a deep breath, releasing another strangled breath before turning to Akane. "I'm fine. It's nothing, really."

That was always the answer.

Akane nodded, unconvinced, but let it pass. "Okay, sure. Come on, let's go."

Alexander looked away and didn't even smile to reassure his concerned crew member. "Yes."

-x-x-x-

A shiny-eyed girl hurried through the grand foyer. Her light hair curled down her back as she lifted a shivering hand to her white rhinestone-frosted headband, attempting to collect her scattered emotions. She never was good at that.

"Lauren." A rude voice alarmed the girl as she stopped in her tracks, refusing to turn and face her company. She longed to mop the sweat off her twitching brow. A scowl fell to her mouth as she began to tremble. Her fingers climbed up to her shoulder. "Lauren, answer me." The words were softer and someone shook her shoulder.

Lauren sighed and whirled on her heel to face the man behind her. Her heart quickened and she felt sweat break into her eyes. The man approached and cupped her cheek and smiled. The smile itself wasn't normal. It was sick. You could practically feel the fakeness of it. Untamed blonde hair framed a tan face and frowns crisscrossed his forehead.

"Daddy," she chimed, blinking away the dampness in her eyes. "It's so good to see you again."

Lauren's father took a step closer. "Likewise, flower." he replied, ducking his head in greeting. "Were you going somewhere? You seem to be in an awful rush."

Lauren shook her head and positioned the jewel-encrusted crown on her head. "Of course not! I haven't seen you in years! I've missed you. How are you, Father?"

The man smiled at the answer. "I'm good, thanks. Glad to hear that. Your mother would've been proud to hear that."

Bringing the subject of her mother on, she felt her gut twist. "That's good. It's rare to see you accompanied alone. Where are the guards?"

The man chortled energetically which made Lauren take a cautious foot back. "Why, I don't need them anymore! It's been eighteen months, dear. They've done their job. I'm finally permitted to stay here and we can finally move back into the villa together. You don't have to stay with the Curries anymore. Isn't that great?"

Lauren felt her heart roll in her chest. Her insides swirled dangerously in her stomach. A forced grin replaced her shocked frown and she bobbed her head with fake eagerness. "The greatest!" she said with a bright grin so wide it made her face hurt. "I-I'll be back! I must go tell Misty!"

Her father nodded understandingly and watched as she fled down the hall. Servants held vases of fresh flowers. Maids flitted by with tea trays and breakfast dishes in their hands. They were dressed in rich silk. What was Misty planning this morning? There was never silence in the Currie household.

Lauren stopped a working maid and she turned to Lauren with a smile. "May I help you, Mistress?"

Between choked breaths, Lauren nodded. "Yes…" She panted. "Have you seen Elijah?"

The lace-clad woman balanced a platter of cookies on her shaking arm and directed a hand around the corner. "Mr. Currie is right now with his youngest sister. He's supposed to be meeting with his mother shortly so don't mind if Mr. Currie appears a tad jumpy."

Lauren smiled with gratitude and nodded the woman away. She rounded the corner and continued speedily down the hall. She dashed through many of the arriving guests, shooting them hasty greetings as she continued on–a twinkle in her eye when she finally discovered who she was looking for.

She entered the main dining room, where servants prepared the table and Elijah watched over them. He jumped when he saw Lauren, placed his clipboard on a chair. "Something wrong, Lo? You look like you've seen a ghost." he said, watching as a scrawny servant placed a tall glass statuette on the table.

Lauren nodded. "I-I have…" she answered, her chest heaving up and down. "My dad's back. He's returned, Eli."

His eyebrows rose so high it seemed as if they disappeared through his platinum blonde bangs. "Your father…as in Sean Preston?" He stepped closer and noticed the nervous twitch in her eye. "Hey, Lo, relax. It'll be fine." He held her shoulder like his heart. Viridian green eyes going soft. "You aren't going anywhere. My family and I won't let him hurt you again."

"He's told me before that he may be able to get me back with enough paperwork and a good attorney. He could get me back…" She sniffled and her lower lip quivered. Her voice was so low he barely caught it. "And I don't want that to happen."

Housekeepers flooded the room, placing plates of food and giant displays of flowers on the table. His other hand found her shoulder and under his touch, he felt it rise and fall. "It won't happen, Lo. Come on, relax."

Lauren crashed into Eli, unleashing a violent string of sobs. Maids looked at the two, confused, but shook it off, continuing on with their daily routine. Eli gritted his teeth and led circles across Lauren's back. "It's okay, Lo. It's okay…damn. Just damn."

The bastard would pay.

-x-x-x-

"It smells like fruit in here." A girl said, kicking her legs back and forth as she sat on a metal cot. "Like dead fruit."

"Dried fruit, dear." The man corrected, aligning plastic syringes on the counter. "There's no such thing as dead fruit. Prepare yourself for your flu vaccination. It'll sting for a moment but it's easy to endure." He chose a needle from the set and pressed rubbing alcohol over his patient's forearm. He exposed the needle and injected the medicine into her arm. She flinched but did nothing more as her eyelids drooped. He removed the needle after a second and dumped it in a box. He dabbed at the speck on her skin and combed a damp cotton ball over it. "You took that well, Rose. Good job."

Rose smiled and nodded as the brown-haired doctor placed a bandage on her elbow. She lowered her sleeve and her smile widened. "Thanks so much, Doctor Jefferson. I owe you one."

The doctor shook his head and sat back in his desk chair. "Think nothing of it, dear." He looked out the window where the sun blazed orange. He squinted and readjusted the monocle over his eye. A glare appeared on the glass. "It's sure been bright this week. Civilians have been catching heatstrokes and passing out. And in uglier cases, dying…" He told himself, forgetting about Rose's presence. He turned to see she was still sitting on the cot, he jumped and laughed awkwardly. "Oh, bloody bugger. Forgive me, dear. I forgot you were here."

Rose shook her head and her smile dropped for a few seconds. "It's okay." she assured, waving it off with a sweeping motion of her hand. "But…Lord Macao has…temporal problems. He controls the elements and can make it from hot to cold. Since he's been so mad lately, it's been reaching unbearable temperatures."

The man nodded and dissected her words. Could "Lord Macao" have swallowed a Devil's Fruit? A rare one, it must be. Especially for him to be able to control the land's elements.

He has never come in contact with this element-powered lord. How did his powers work exactly? Fire and heat for anger? Lightning for anxiety? A snowstorm or avalanche for depression? These were just simple guesses but they could lead to real answers.

What a mystery this was leading up to be.

He turned to the crystal rod that stood at the wall before looking away. Could he do something? Would he do something?

What would happen if he decided to go meet Macao? Would he immediately think he's trying to start a war with him and then launch an attack against his innocent town? He wouldn't let that happen.

Maybe one day he'd try.

Maybe.

Rose climbed off the cot and unclipped her diamond-drop earrings, putting them away in her pocket. "I'll have to take my leave now, sir." she said with a smile and dug into the pocket of her shorts, pulling out some coinage, offering it to him generously. "Thanks a bunch, here you go."

Jefferson smiled and pushed her hand away. "Don't worry about it, dear. Consider it, how you say, 'on the house.'"

Rose grinned and pocketed her money. "Cool then!" she chimed and went to the door, patting the man's shoulder before she scampered out the door. "See you later, Doctor Jefferson!"

Jefferson smiled and waved softly as she shut the door quietly behind her. The softhearted doctor's smile slowly vanished as he scattered notes around the desk, taking a quill pen off the side of his desk, beginning to write. A weak frown creased his brow.

_Caroline_, _dear_, _I_'_ll return soon_. _I_'_m going on my lunch break_. _Notify me if anything_. _Cheerio_!

_Sincerely_, _Jefferson Potter_

He taped the note to the door and got up, taking one last glance at the wand before exiting the office with a lock of the door.

-x-x-x-

"Wonderful, magnificent, thrilling!"

"M-Miss Solidad, would you like me to assist you…?"

Reli Solidad shook her head and examined the barrage of wanted posters on her desk. She stood tall in leather shoes and grinned excitedly as she looked over each and every bounty. She was lanky and pale. Muscle mass was hardly visible on her back. Her dark waves were tipped blonde and her oval face was makeup-free. "These wanted posters are just so…fascinating!"

She picked a familiar one, beaming at its creased structure and blurred picture. It read "Trapmaster," a blonde, green-eyed boy stood before a foam-caked ship. Froth leaked out through the boat's split deck. He wielded a foam-soaked sword in his right hand and had one eye shut in a taunting wink.

Her excited breath became softer as she touched the sandpaper. "Interesting." she breathed and tipped her fedora over her eyes, placing his poster back in an organized pile.

She turned to her assistant as she sat in the corner of the room, tearing a ball of lint off her sweater sleeve. Her head ducked and her flesh-colored waves curtained her eyes. Reli turned to her assistant and smiled. "You're looking awfully nervous, Alia. Is everything alright?"

Alia shook her head and blushed. Reli realized she was holding something. A picture frame? A memento of the past?

Odd. But it's not like you could change the facts.

Alia startled. Her skin-colored waves whirled around her face, her eyes wide. "Nothing, nothing, Miss Solidad," She hid the silver frame in her jacket. "Nothing of your interest, I mean."

The philosopher nodded and raised a brow in the process. "Alright…suit yourself."

The woman excused herself from the room, heading down the hall as Alia brought the picture frame back into view. Her eyes were softer, sadder. She hugged the frame to her chest and exhaled, placing it on the table. She exited the room and the picture in the frame caught the light.

Three people in the picture were smiling. A blonde was between someone who looked similar to a younger Alia and an attractive brown-eyed boy. His arms slung over the blonde's shoulders as Alia hugged the blonde between them close. The blonde had her arms raised and she was turned to the boy behind her with an ecstatic grin.

On the back of the frame, three names were written.

_Marie_, _Donnie_, _and Alia_.

-x-x-x-

**And with that ends a pretty long chapter. I just wanted to make a long chapter since I'm finally back in school and the updates from now on will become slower so I'll try to make longer chapters because of that.**

**I also know that I haven't introduced all the OCs in this chapter but I couldn't introduce them all yet because they'll provide bigger storylines and the ones I haven't introduced will appear in the story faster than the ones who had shown up in this chapter. But the ones in this chapter will still have their own moments from time to time.**

…**I just made this a lot more complicated than it had to be.**

**But, other than everything I've told you all. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. :)**

**As an ending comment, I wanted to tell FanficAA great job with the poetry.**

**Over and out!**


	10. Chapter 10

"_You_'_re a shame_. _Not even that_, _probably worse_." _Marie stood on a wooden perch but seemed different_. _Her blonde strands hinted off yellowish_. _Her pupils were an unspeakable tomb of haste_, _her mouth a bloody red_. _It_ _was unlike her_. _A corruption_. _She_'_s become a corruption_. "_Like that girl_. _She had the infamous bounty_? _Ellie_, _I assume_." _She raised her hands and spun a recognizable black glove_, _then tossed it to and fro_. "_Bounty hunting isn_'_t as fun anymore_. _I like a challenge_."

_Alexander turned his face_, _wielding some loathsome expression and cursing her beneath his breath_.

_Jefferson crouched defensively_. "_How could you kill a child_? _Have you actually gone insane_?"

_Marie lowered herself into a position of relaxation_. "_I wouldn_'_t call it that_. _Would you if someone had taken away another_'_s life_? _Many would claim reparation_."

"_Revenge and insanity are completely different things_." _He remarked_, _fingers loosening on his staff_. _She doesn_'_t pay mind_,_ doesn_'_t notice_ _but Alexander slowly attached his brass knuckles_. _Gritting teeth and darkening eyes_. "_Quite a study_, _actually_."

_She shifted her gaze elsewhere_. "_Is it_?" _Jefferson eyed Alexander as he proposed a sneak_-_attack_, _coming up from behind Marie with unmasked vengeance and bloodlust_. "_I probably wouldn_'_t be able to deduct that myself_."

_Alexander grabbed her shoulder_. _She didn_'_t blink_, _doesn_'_t speak before abruptly_–_vanishing_?

_He blinked and stepped onto Marie_'_s platform_. _She_ _was gone_. _Only the glove was left_. "_Wait_, _where_'_d she_–"

_Jefferson glanced around and his posture slackened_. "_I don_'_t exactly_–_no_." _His eyes widened_. "_Alexander_, _look out_!"

_Alexander jumped backward but before he could run_, _an arm was locked around his shoulders and throat_. _A blade at his neck_, _a stink of metal_. "_Can_'_t kill the killer_." _He almost felt her smile as she caressed his hair_. "_You seem like a challenge_. _But_,_ remember_, _it takes two to make a murder_. _And you_'_re the perfect fit_."

She would be killed. Someone, maybe Marie, would kill her.

How was Marie a bounty hunter? Could that be possible? All of her visions had shown her as a criminal, drug-abuser, a sister, an adoptive daughter. Nothing insanely dangerous until now.

Did she actually exist or was Marie a figment of her imagination? If she were worth something and hadn't already had a bounty floating overhead, she would sneak and check for her birth records. Did she have one? It's all so _blank_.

Ellie sighed and drank her beer in one shot. The bar was large and had a singing Den Den Mushi. Bulks and groups of men clinked their champagnes and wine mugs. She was alone and nor Alexander or Akane have come looking for her. She should be relieved for the distance and quiet but she would rather have one of them here to talk to about her suspicious visions.

Especially regarding her life.

She sighed and squirmed uncomfortably. The bar door slammed and noisy sandals clunked inside. She swiveled around and watched a man cross the floor, seating himself beside her and ordering a nonalcoholic cider. Did she know him? He did seem plenty familiar.

Despite this town being a tad ghostly and murky, he was dressed normally (a nice red button-up, red shorts, sandals, and _lots _of gauze wrappings.) Maybe he was hurt. She didn't know. A war veteran? Former marine? Just hiding old battle scars?

"What are you staring at?"

Ellie jumped backward, almost falling from her chair. The guy stared at her questioningly, brown eyes glittering in the flickering lights. She blinked. "Sorry." She said. Despite his question not exactly being rude, it's always weird to stare.

He shrugged and continued on with whatever he was doing. She eventually tuned everyone out, listening to her own thoughts and private opinions, forgetting her problems and draining her mind of Marie. Always her nightmare and never far.

She slid her drink aside and–

"Someone help!" a man burst inside the bar. He was sweating and his hair was mussy. He panted heavily and wiped his face. "M-my friend! He's being mugged! Please help _anyone_!"

People attack on impulse, she defends on it.

Before she knew it, she was standing and running for the door despite her gun holsters being empty. She was working on asking the man until she heard a desperate begging in an alleyway, saw burly silhouettes masked around a fragile bystander in sickening cracks and dirty words.

Her teeth grinded and she charged forward.

It's sad how familiar this all was.

_Marie lay on thick shards of bricks_. _She drew a knee into her chest and watched a man strut around their battle field_. _She coughed nastily and watched him stare down a Den Den Mushi_. _The suspicious ticking somewhere above them increased and her face flushed strongly_. _The temperature had become insane and she was completely useless against it_.

_The man lingered over her Den Den Mushi_. _She could almost read his mind_. "_If you do that_–" _She panted harder_. "_You_'_ll be killed_. _All your damn friends will be_, _too_. _So will I_."

"_Impel Down is nothing without some surprises_." _He sifted through his pockets and coughed into his elbows_. "_I_'_m sure they won_'_t do anything rash to their favorite regular_."

_She would move if she could_. _But she was immobile_, _drained to possible extremities_.

_Her vision misted and she grabbed for anything_. "_Say what you may_. _Just_–" _She hissed in agony and clutched her stomach_. "_Do whatever you want_. _I_'_m a dead man_'s _soul_."

_He smiled rudely_. "_I wouldn_'_t listen to you_, _anyway_." _And he activated it_, _then looked back for her_. "_I hope you_'_re not as useless as you portray_."

"_I hope even in my corpse state_, _I may be able to assist my enemies_." _Her vision returned shortly_. _Maybe a lucky side_-_effect of her sins_. "_I_, _however_, _can_'_t promise much_."

"_Neither can I_." _Even though his smile broadened_, _it_ _wasn_'_t at all sweet_. _Then he snagged her in his arms and roughly sprinted for the stairs_.

"HEY!" Ellie balled her fists and the guys instantly froze, glaring at her . "What the hell is your problem?"

"We'll shows you ours problems, Missy." the biggest one snarls. She still couldn't see his face but does find her sight flickering angrily as her instincts enrage her placated aura. "Just tries to beats us."

He could do better on his pronunciation, however.

"Just try me!" She shouted as a few others quit their ransacking. "You have _no _idea how easy I can kill all of you!"

The biggest slugged in, a shiny dagger sparkled in his knuckles, which seemed to spiral her instincts and chain reaction. It approached. Her frustrations can become much more than harmless threats. She had a bounty on her head for a reason.

"_I_'_ll give you a weapon_._ Now_, _don_'_t put me to waste_."

Her head throbbed through Marie's voice, a good blind spot. Enough to murder her as the man slimed closer, evading his advances and felt the wind of his dagger swipe her chest, not enough to make it to skin.

She dodged more fists. They're upcoming, inevitable, that she's almost sadly losing her own fight, the one she brought upon herself. Why'd she have to act so spontaneously?

Then she stumbled over an obstacle. Maybe a crate or barrel or an old weapon, all she knows is that her downfall is arriving.

The strange man trudged in. His dagger glistened like seawater pearls. "That'll teaches you not to messes with us."

And just before the terrifying knife can kill, a large iron bar impacted with the man's cranium and his eyes were open as he collapsed to the ground in a stream of blood. Her heart thrummed.

Ellie shakily grabbed her arms and looked around. The guy in the bar with brown eyes and clad in red and gauze held a twisted street pole. His followers scrambled away. Her rescuer grinned nervously and dropped the rod with a shattering clatter.

"Didn't your Mama ever teach you not to hit girls?" He asked the corpse.

-x-x-x-

Akane skimmed a thick novel with yellow pages, whilst Alexander lighted a cigarette. "I can't believe they have a book of famous bounties." She observed their current statuses and gaped at the higher rewards.

"I can't _believe _you made me waste money on that." He puffed and fingered around the bulbous spark. "We should be looking for Ellie, not buying bounty books and cheap ramen."

She shrugged and admired a shot of _Sniper King_. The picture wasn't the greatest. "You have to admit that ramen was pretty good. We don't have a chef and that'll be our last edible meal in a while."

"We'll have a chef soon." Alexander breathed smoke into the ornaments of stars and clouds. "Just you wait."

Akane rolled her eyes. "Because you can foresee the future?"

"_Yes_. I have a crystal ball hidden in my room."

"That's awesome. I hope it sparkles."

He, now, rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'm gonna go look for Ellie. Who knows what'll happen? Especially involving her."

She smirked and crossed her legs, casually. Or as casual can be. "If you like her, you can just say so."

"I don't like her!" He scratched an eyebrow and his face reddened, barely visible in the twilight. "Why do you always resort to that?"

"Curiosity." She claimed and her smirk didn't vanish. "Aren't you going somewhere?"

"Will you always have an attitude?" Alexander demanded to receive no reply. "Fine, I'm leaving."

The book clunked onto the deck with a _thump _as she stood. "Too bad you had to waste my time first."

And for once, he's glad to finally shut his mouth.

-x-x-x-

"I really have to thank you."

"No, it's alright. Any man that hits a girl needs a beating, you know."

Ellie twiddled with the loose binds of her gloves as she and 'the guy,' Sabastian, reclined in the bar. After withdrawing into the bar to check her face for blood, she noticed Sabastian had returned also and couldn't help but approach her with gratitude. It was the least she could allow.

Sabastian cracked his neck. It's a common quirk but still grosses her out. "Plus, what loser beats someone in an alleyway? It's so lame."

The guy, who was beaten, fortunately survived. He took off once the others had scattered and the ringleader was pronounced dead at the scene, probably a miracle for that coward.

"Yeah." She agreed and wringed her fingers. "But really. I _really _want to repay you."

He smiles. "I'm sure you really don't need to."

"I want to, though." Stubbornly like a child. She kept repeating herself and although she knew she was acting immature, she's forever in debt to Alexander. What's so wrong with adding more promises? Who doesn't? "I have an idea!"

"Well, that doesn't sound good." He leaned in. "Let's hear it."

He's right. It's never a good thing.

-x-x-x-

Alexander passed shops and clinics. He doesn't know any of them. They were just here as a checkpoint for some food, gallons of water, first aid kits. Maybe one day there'd be a cook and doctor aboard. Why was he even thinking into the future? He couldn't have become a criminal, he wouldn't be a pirate or 'matey' or whatever else.

But he was already something. Nothing good, bounties aren't good things. No matter the prizes. It just seemed so good to finally escape his family after all the inside drama, locked and bound in the dungeons of his reality. He was the only one to flee. Maybe it was better this way.

He stopped in front of a bar and read the bounty posters taped outside of it. His and Ellie's weren't there. Different people like the _Strawberry Vixen_, some already discovered criminals, and the _Majestic Vampire_, who had a weird photo. These monsters sure were questionable.

Was he one?

"Alexander!" Ellie slammed outside the bar and strode over to him, a guy with orange hair and brown eyes in tow. "How are you? You look so handsome!"

His eyebrows furrowed and he took a step back. "Thanks, I guess." He eyed the man hesitantly. "Friend of yours?"

"Yes!" And he has to cringe at the enthusiasm. "And now, a friend of yours."

Alexander grabbed for a brass knuckle, reaching for defense. Was she on something? "I don't follow."

She spun on the balls of her feet and jumped with the flourish of a professional. "Meet our new crewmate, Sabastian!" Held her hands before him. "He's a servant, too!"

He opened his mouth, closed it, repeated and reeled his thoughts violently.

"Ellie, I'm seriously gonna kill you."

And amid their bickering, Sabastian noticed a blur of champagne-colored hair, jumping roofs with the usual stolen bags of bread. He smiled and was glad to have agreed to something good for once.

-x-x-x-

The same man, who'd been beaten in an alley, slugged into an abandoned building of bricks and rotted vines. He's been swallowing his words and wiping his neck as if trying to rid himself of lacerations and bruises, nervously slumping into a metal chair beside a pyramid of wood blocks.

"Ah, so you finally decide to show." a too-familiar man closes in on him. He had dark hair with the appearance of a startled jellyfish and opaque navy eyes and was wearing a suit and big boots. "However, too late. She has gone hours ago."

"I-I-I'm sorry, Ian! I am!" He pleaded and his eyes shined with tears. "I didn't mean to waste either of your time! Please give Mistress–"

"Oh, I will, of course." Ian smiled coldly. His eyes clouded over with bluish smoke. "I was also told to carry out an order and we know how she likes her missions done for her, not before her. No one likes to see her upset when she has blood all over her pretty dress."

The other begun trembling profusely, tears downplaying his kiddie face. "M-M-Marie wouldn't–"

"You're right, she wouldn't." Ian strode closer, smog in his eyes thickening. "But she hates to abuse her time, actually. Especially when it comes to annihilating useless pests. I, so, hope you prepared yourself...I do enjoy an interesting win."

The screams howled in the alleyway for hours. So much, the civilians considered them to be ghosts of a different kind.

-x-x-x-

**I'm so sorry for the wait. I really hope this makes up for it And thanks so much for the comments, I couldn't have done this without all of you! I'll be working on another, longer update and my other stories soon, trust me. I'm currently drowning in revisions and espresso.**

**And all your OCs will make appearances soon enough. Girl Scouts Honor... well, I was never a Girl Scout but yeah.**


	11. Chapter 11

No flashbacks, no future scenes, nothing.

For over four hours, Ellie hadn't had one image of Marie or the future. Even though she held some resentment for the girl and how she may be the one to end her life, she almost missed seeing something so prominent, so mind-bending. It defined who she was and even though she really didn't _know _who she was, she had the gift of seeing into someone else's life.

Ellie pulled herself off the bowsprit and looked around for a spot shaded most from the sun. It was incredibly bright and according to Alexander's compass, they wouldn't be reaching another city for over six hours. The suggestion made Akane spit at him. There were four of them on the boat and all they had to share was half a barrel of water, a bottle of cherry medicine, two cans of chicken soup, and a loaf of crunchy bread.

Alexander insisted they lay off until they neared the next city but once he'd fallen asleep at his desk among the mapping paper and scattered ink pens, Akane took the soup and bread for the three of them and brewed the soup on the hot plate, breaking apart the bread and placing it in the soup. They ate well that morning.

Ellie sighed and squeezed her temples with her fingertips. _Marie_, _please_. _Please_, _just let me know you exist_.

The rumble of a creek came from somewhere. It wasn't anywhere close but it felt so real that she could already smell the wilderness and pine and mud-frosted leaves. A vision of the wild lodged through her head. A cabin stuck in the middle of nowhere with a wood-burning fireplace, outlandish birds and insects hissing through the branches. A long-retired man with his wife basking in the night with oil lanterns and handpicked berries, needing nothing but the safeguard of each other...

Ellie screwed her eyes shut tighter. "_Give me a sign_,_ Marie_._ Anything_._ I need to know you_'_re okay_**."**

Then she heard a girl's voice but it wasn't just a girl. It was a woman, a full-bred, dangerous woman. That didn't even have a drop of pleasantness.

"_Stay_ _out of my head_, _you pig_."

Her mind flared up at the sound of a voice. It was Marie's! She knew it from the flashbacks and could recognize it wherever she was. Marie was near a creek. They could finally meet up and she would finally be able to explain herself to her.

_"Marie_, _where are you_? _We can finally speak_!" Everything in her was desperate. Marie was alive and well. More importantly, she was alive and talking. It was a relief.

"_Marie!_"

Only silence answered her. The babbling brook and chirpy birds were, at last, gone. It was too soon and she wanted a chance to speak with Marie. To ask her about these reoccurring flashbacks and demand (actually, she shouldn't demand. It was rude.) an answer.

None of it made sense. Marie had a family and people that cared for her. Her brother could be looking for her today, posting her photo all across town, running to checkpoints in search of his sister. If she had a lost sibling, she would never give up until they were found, dead or alive. Maybe if her family existed, she could have something to search for.

But everything was a haze. She was sitting in an explosion of smoke and fire. There were no footsteps to follow, no path to lead, and no family to pray for each night. Alexander had a big family. He never said much about them but she's heard mentions of his younger sisters and older brother. She didn't feel fully comfortable asking Sabastian and Akane about their families. She hasn't known them that long.

Sabastian certainly made himself at home.

By bothering her from beginning to end, of course. Akane wasn't quite dignified over the whole Sabastian-has-nothing-better-to-do situation. In fact, she already threatened to throw Sabastian off the ship if he continued to bother her.

"Your hair looks like…dango." Sabastian said in an interested tone, gazing down at Akane's hairline. "How do you get it like that?"

Akane gave out a little smile. "Magic."

"Wanna play a game?"

Her smile became a question. "What kind of game? Like prank Alexander while he's sleeping?"

Sabastian scowled. "No, that's mean."

"No thanks, I guess. I'd rather watch the clouds."

He took on an offended face as if she declared him a devil. "Come on! Are you serious? Let's just–"

Akane thumped him across the back of the head and he fell unconscious, motionless for a minute until he released a huge, nose-bubbling snore. Akane snickered and turned to Ellie. "Men these days, eh? Sabastian is KO'd. Alex is sleeping quietly for once. Some knights in shining armor they are."

Ellie nodded. "Alexander's actually been sleeping for a while. It makes me wonder."

"He's probably having one of those perverted guy dreams."

"But for this long?" Ellie asked. The sun concentrated dazzling gold patterns across the deck and too far to grasp or see through a telescope, the puzzle pieces of an island took figure. All they had was the soft growl of ocean water to support their ship and the crew-members upon it. "Aren't you worried?"

Akane laughed. "I know you are. Just go check on the loser. I'll make sure no one kidnaps Sabastian while you're gone."

Ellie climbed the stairs to Alexander's cabin. Now that she thought about it, she's never actually entered his room. Maybe once or twice, she's knocked on the door to ask him where the spare pillows or blankets were or if he'd rather have butter or cream cheese on his toast. Usually when he got off the ship or went to sleep, he would lock the door. If he was hiding something, it better be good to act so jumpy and protective over.

Ellie knocked on the door to his room. "Alexander, are you alright?"

She figured he was asleep. Who knows? He may have only fallen into bed because he was sucked into the boredom of life on the sea. It baffled her and bended her thoughts because he usually didn't act so secluded and isolated from the people who cared about him.

Her concern established itself until becoming the size of a planet. She made an effort to barge in but not realizing the door was unlocked, she staggered inside and collapsed forward onto the floorboards, clumsily holding her weight up on her elbows.

His room was both neat and disordered. Paper ripped from notebooks and dictionaries were stained with unintelligible sentences and spread across every surface holding anything other than pencils, ink quills, and fountain pens that were an exclusive item to the rich. Ink was something to value. It didn't come around to anything below Shellsound. An old wives' tale said that if a man wrote his signature with ink instead of lead, there was no mistake that he'd be the one to propose marriage.

With that said, lead is more common.

Starfished across the bed was Alexander, sleeping on his back, grayer than a cloud. He breathed through his nose but assumed the image of a sick man–watery nose, cracked lips, fidgety limbs and a constant twitch to his eyelids. She dared herself to poke at his eyelids but decided against it.

"Alexander, you hear me? Are you dead? Maybe you're just sleeping but you don't look so good." Ellie observed, nudging his eyelids experimentally. He grumbled, batting at her hand. His fingers were sweaty and cold. "So you're alive. That's nice. Now _wake up_."

He did. But as his eyes opened, she didn't see Alexander or anything resembling him. He looked at her in silent argument, jaw trembling. He locked those eyes on her and stared, stared through her, before he ducked his head and puked all over her boots.

"Jeez, Alexander, all you had to say was leave. I can take a hint."

-x-x-x-

"_Oi_, _Marie_! _Remember me_? _I was the guy who brought you the rice and soy milk that last time_!"

_Mr_. _Marine Corp had red hair and cobalt eyes like fish_-_scales_. _She already knew him by face_. _He was one of the Marines that invaded her family home with General McCann and had spoken with her on the carriage ride to the dungeon_. _Ever since their chat_, _he visited her cell every day_,_ talking with her_ (_even though at times_, _she didn_'_t talk back_), _bringing her three meals a day_, _and trying to pry a laugh out of her_. _How he got a copy of the key to her cell made her question what boundaries the guards had in the light_.

_Marie did not smile at his tone_. _As funny as she thought it to be_, _she would prefer to be home_. "_I remember you_,"

"_Say my name then_, _sweet_, _sweet girl_." _Mr_._ Marine whispered and sent her a wink_. _His breath was fresh with peppermint toothpaste_. _He wore a Marine_'s _hat and attire but looked nothing like one_. _His face was smooth_-_shaven_, _an indescribable handsome_.

_Marie pondered on the request_, _not even a second later did she summon an answer_. "_Terry_?"

"_Terrence_, _but that was a good guess_," _Terrence praised_ _with a jester_'_s grin_.

_Marie scooted onto a warmer spot of ground_. _The concrete basing offered no support to her devastated back and damaged body_. "_I like Terry better_…"

"_As do I_…_but it_'_s an absolute strain to sound serious when_, _let_'_s say_, _one of the ringleaders here will call me _'_Terry_.'"

"_I thought the generals didn_'_t know anyone by name_."

_Terrence sat opposite of her_. _He removed his hat and dropped it in his lap_. _Sweat made his hair redder_. "_They don_'_t but there_'_s always hope_, _right_? _No matter_, _have you had a bite to eat today_? _I haven_'_t passed through this sector in a while and I_'_m beginning to see the contour of your ribcage_."

_She cracked a smile_, _wanting to punch him_. "_Forgive me for eating whatever is given_. _I_'_m lucky to get that slop they feed us around here_."

"_It_'_s alright_. _I didn't really have a stomach for my lunch today_. _Tuna on rye and a green apple that looks rotted but apparently isn_'_t_."

"_Lucky you_."

_Terrence got off his knees and hit his feet_, _took his key on a ring_, _and left her cell without so much of a goodbye_. _She didn_'_t expect him back_, _not that she ever did_. _Marie collapsed back onto her bed_. _It felt like a shallow piece of bread_. _No pillow_, _one sheet_. _She has listened to the begging of the other prisoners_, _men_, _women_, _children_, _begging through their barred doors for sanitary water and real food_. _The more someone begs_, _the less they_'_re given_. _She watched underpaid janitors through her fanlight throw white blankets over the corpses of famished captives and scrub their beds with bleach_-_stained sponges once the bodies were disposed of_. _Eventually reused to accumulate their experiments_, _er_, _captives_.

_She woke up to darkness_. _A plastic plate with a sandwich cut in half_, _a green apple_, _a cupcake with pink frosting that was bigger than a child_'_s hand_, _and orange juice in a paper cup_. _Terrence had his head on his knees_, _hat off_, _the key made for her escape inside of it_. _She couldn_'_t guarantee whether he was a deeper sleeper or not_.

_Marie chose the food_, _feeding her starved bones_, _licking her fingers_, _eating crumbs_. _Terrence opened his eyes after a few minutes and watched her with a smile_.

"_I_'_ve never seen anyone like you_, _Marie_," _he murmured_,_ making it sound like nothing more than a secret between pals_. "_You_'_re certainly one of a kind_."

_She thought of smoking from a contaminated pipe with Emmett_, _coughing smoke into his face_, _laughing_. _Donnie hitting her and helping treat her fever with antibiotics and big wool blankets_, _their_ _siblings crowded around her bed like a bubble shield_. _It meant nothing_. _All she saw was today_. _Terrence caring for her and telling her stories and smiling brighter each time she did_.

"_Terry_?"

"_Talk to me_."

"_Why do you care_?"

"_I_'_m sorry_?"

_Marie lurched into his face and he recoiled back_. _His eyes were a nice color_. "_Why are you here_, _why do you care_? _You must have a reason_. _You must want_ something."

_He touched her forehead with his thumb_, _pulling back to his feet_. "_You_'_re a deceiving little girl_, _I like that_. _Pretty_, _too_. _If you use your strategic self to good_, _you might be able to get yourself outta here_."

_Terrence left with his key_. _It was a little over a week before he came back_.

"Are you paying attention?"

Marie spat the remains of her chewing tobacco into the fire. Terrence watched as tongues of orange flames wound in the air with smoke, ribboned with green embers like electric wires. "Sorry, I didn't hear a fucking thing. What were you saying?"

Terrence stared at her from a side-angle. They were centimeters away from the creek. A dead body sanctuary was more like it. Bones and carcasses of humans buried in the polluted water along with piles of trash, disintegrated leaves, dead insects, pieces of grass. "It's unlike you to doze off during a conversation."

"Funny, Ian said the same thing." she admitted with a single laugh. Marie never laughed, not even when something was actually funny. She smiles but not that much. "Were you briefing on the Beehive Diner plot again? We've been going on about this for days. We start tomorrow at noon, am I right?"

"Nope, wrong. If you paid attention, you would know that I was announcing a change of plans. We start today, just when the moon's shadow is out. Ian's fault, Mar, not mine." Terrence instructed, ignoring the glare she placed in his direction. "He left too much evidence after finishing off that bitchy apprentice of his."

Marie closed her knees against her chest. The mud was like peanut brittle under her hands and feet. "Ian isn't the keeping-apprentices type."

The sky was stained white and blue like a flag. They lapsed back into silence until Terrence bound to his feet, sliding a knife out of his pouch, and crouching protectively in front of Marie like a guard dog. She wasn't listening before but now she heard branches snapping like bone. There would be no trouble taking care of their uninvited guest, animal or human.

"Terrence, you know, I'm quite capable of protecting myself."

He smiled back at her. "It's only natural to protect the one you love."

She rolled her eyes. "You're _hilarious_."

"Peekaboo, I see you!" Ian burst out from behind a huge tree, grinning like a lottery-winner. Terrence placed his knife down and sighed, dropping beside Marie.

"Ian, why don't you keep your voice down so I can live to see tomorrow?" Marie hissed, rolling her eyes again. "Thanks for the extra work, by the way."

Ian deflated like a balloon. "I apologize sincerely, Mistress Marie. It will never happen again."

Terrence snorted. "Mistress Marie…"

"I agree. Don't call me that, Ian. I respect you enough. I'm just Marie."

"That works, too, Just Marie!"

Marie sighed and Terrence collapsed into her lap, laughing.

-x-x-x-

"I don't think you're supposed to force medicine down his throat like that," Akane observed as Ellie squeezed Alexander's chin to make him force-drink the bottled medicine, their only remedy for the sick. They didn't have much of else. "If he dies, it'll be your fault and we'll have nothing to do with him but toss his corpse in the ocean."

Ellie turned away, glaring. "I appreciate your opinion too much."

"Thanks. It's nice to have someone value it for once."

Akane watched some more as Alexander choked in his sleep, cherry medicine slopping down his chin like blood dripping into water, polluting it pink. "El, really, give him a break. You're gonna kill him."

"No?" Ellie said, pulling out of the chair next to Alexander's bed. He looked like a ghost, a disturbed thing with the bones in his face and body showing. He hasn't been eating or sleeping like he should. The bug he had must've caught him overnight. For now, they had no navigator. Not that Alexander actually _was_ a navigator. His only job was reading the map to himself and trying to send them in the right direction. He never really was correct but that was okay. At least, he did something.

"But we're useless without Alexander…it's wrong to say but we really have no one to read the compass since he's sick." Ellie expressed to her shipmate in confidence. "What should we do?"

Akane cradled her chin with her fingers, tapping them. "We'll go where the wind take us. Not so bad, right? Once we get to town, we'll drag Alexander to a doctor and he'll be good as new. No stress."

"I know but what if he has something permanent. I don't want him dead. What would we tell his family?"

"We don't even _know _his family. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it but I doubt we'll have to."

The flapping of sandals across stiff floorboards and Alexander's door yawned open. Sabastian clomped into the room, red-faced like he was feverish. Ellie's mind was diverted as she concerned over the pasty tone of Alexander's skin. Her boots washed with sink water and positioned against the cabinet, sparkling black like a magnifying glass in the sun.

Akane crossed her fingers through her hair, smiling like she knew nothing. "Have a nice nap?"

"Why did you knock me out? What made it _okay _to just knock me on the head and throw me out on the deck? I could've died. We could've been attacked. We _could_'_ve_–"

"I got it, Sabastian. Sorry not sorry. Can you keep it down? Alexander isn't feeling so hot."

Sabastian's facial expression shifted. His infuriated gaze blanched with concern. He watched Alexander from the door. "What's wrong with him?"

"If we knew, I promise you'd be first to know," Ellie declared coldly. Sun breaking through the shutters, making her curls look like something of value.

Sabastian approached Alexander's bed and Ellie turned away to let him. He set a hand to Alexander's forehead, touching just below his widow's peak. She saw lines of age cross Alexander's brow and create wreckage in his cheekbones. He lifted a hand and swatted as if trying to catch a bug but didn't make much of an effort. He was a weak soul.

"Fever," Sabastian notified with no further detail, drawing back his hand. "Let him rest, get some water in him. Maybe once we get to the next town, a doctor could check him out. For now, just leave the poor guy alone. He doesn't look like an attention-seeking guy."

Ellie turned to him. She had hope but not much. "I hope he'll be okay."

"He will. Some peace and quiet will do him good."

They settled on that and left Alexander's room as a group. They made sure to not lock the door and Ellie silently willed Alexander to remain in bed and not get up to lock it himself. How long would it take him to get better? What if he didn't? Her words had no effect on what could or could not happen.

While she thought so, Alexander clutched his pillow to his face, inhaling into it, begging for the cold, freezing cold, to go away.

-x-x-x-

_There was a security breech on the last night Terrence visited her_. _He brought her two chocolate_-_almond energy bars and a canteen of water_, _Terrence_'s _own_. _He forgot to take back his canteen before he left and she had no way of returning it to him_. _Her door_, _along with the thirteen others on the floor_, _dragged open_. _They were all in clothes too big_, _their hair caked with dust and dirt_. _Marie trampled with them to the exit_. _She watched an old man grab a guard by the hair and slam his head into the wall_. _He took the rifle from the corpse and kept running_.

_Sirens went off_. _A voice over an intercom screamed it was a travesty_. _Guards and wardens bound out of nowhere with guns_, _firing at them_. _People shrunk down into blood puddles_. _A bullet must_'_ve clipped her_. _Blood looped from behind her ear_. _She stanched the bleeding with her hand_. _Not able to do much else_.

_A handgun was on the first step to the next floor_. _She never held a gun and her fingers shook on it_. _A guard_, _thin as a cigarette_, _fought to detain a kid_, _younger than her_. _He had dark hair that looked quite like a bird_'_s nest and blue eyes_, _which even then appeared solid_.

_It begun there_: _her eye for blood_.

_Marie gave the trigger a nudge and a bullet soared_, _piercing the guard_'_s arm_. _It collapsed and he shrieked like a cat_, _releasing the boy_. _She pulled the trigger again_, _twice_. _While he was down_, _Marie kept shooting until she was out of ammo_. _She saved a life_. _It was the right thing to do_. _Nothing was wrong with that_.

_Behind her_, _the boy was astonished_. _Tears of amazement slid down his cheeks_. "_You saved me_…"

"_You_'_re welcome_. _If you wanna live_, _you_'_ll come with me_," _she instructed_, _confusing herself with her voice_. _She didn_'_t sound like herself_. "_Fast_, _too_. _This place is gonna fill up with guards in seconds_. _Get a move on_."

_He grinned_. "_I_…_I don_'_t know how to thank you_."

_She started to jog without answering and he followed_, _shadowing her_. _He smelled like deodorant_. _He was probably a newbie_. _Before the tests begin_, _they treat their experiments like turkeys before they_'_re killed and cooked_. _Warm bath_, _amazing food_, _a deep_-_tissue massage_.

"–_my name is Ian_."

"_What_?" _He was still talking_? _She contemplated whether pistol_-_whipping would kill him or not_.

"_My name is Ian_." _Ian resaid_. "_What_'_s yours_?"

"_It doesn_'_t matter_," _Marie assured_. "_Keep running_."

Terrence and Marie just finished an argument. Over something Ian brought up nonetheless. Ian left on a murder-mission, leaving Marie and Terrence with the company of each other. If they were actually talking or if Marie quit giving him the cold shoulder, they'd be able to get somewhere. For now, they watched as the diner lights sparkled.

"Are you seriously not gonna talk to me?" Terrence asked, nudging Marie's arm. They were disguised in sunglasses and hats. She had on a white shirt, loose on one shoulder, a red bra strap showing. Khaki shorts and flip-flops. "Marie, come on. I said I'm–"

She turned away, spying through the glass. Their client had a table already, pursuing the breakfast section of his menu. There were payphones in and out of the diner with phonebooks on chairs. The diner was packed with people. China plates glittering like snow. "Are you ready to start or no?"

He sighed. No use. "I guess so."

Marie went on ahead, approaching their client. She broke into easy conversation but the man wasn't having it. He didn't look like an approachable guy but Marie had combat skills so she'd be fine either way. The man climbed out of the booth and shook the waitress with his voice, demanding a free drink as he had no money on him.

The timid waitress shook her head, denying him. He raged at her, spitting at her. Marie burst out of the booth after him, clinging to his arm like a desperate thing, screaming after him, begging. Her sunglasses tipped off her face and he thought that she would be a great actress if not a bounty hunter.

The man shoved her, knocking Marie in all her littleness to the ground. He almost forgot it was part of the ploy and the rifle in his hand was shaking. The waitress ran behind the counter to the Den Den Mushi, phoning the police. Marie made fake-crying sounds into her hands while the nearby diners watched in horror. A handprint was on Marie's arm, purple finger-depressions.

She glanced through her fingers and nodded in Terrence's direction. Time to kill.

-x-x-x-

"I'm back, Alex," Ellie said as she returned into his room. "How are you feeling?"

Alexander didn't look any better as he did before but he was awake now. He wagged his fingers in a way of greeting. His hair was dark with sweat. "Fine…"

While he was bedridden, she went to his desk and saw his wallet. She poked through it and Alexander stretched his body to try and stop her but was unsuccessful. He groaned, laying his back on the bedframe. His blanket was crumpled into a ball against it, an attempt at making a pillow. He grunted. His neck was a fevered red and his eyes were unfocused.

Ellie pried three pocket-sized photos out of a plastic wallet sleeve. There was a little girl with brown hair in one, a handsome boy with platinum blonde hair on a beach with a pretty girl in a swimsuit, a blazer draped across her shoulders; the same pretty girl standing in an orchard. Alexander didn't look like the photo-keeping type. Who were those girls? Who was that boy?

She placed the picture of the girl in the orchard in Alexander's lap. He poked at the girl's forehead. "That's Lauren…my childhood best friend." He pointed at the beach photo. "My brother's too. When we were way younger, Lo expressed feelings for him but he…turned her down. She's over it now but he was so _rude _to her because he didn't think she was _pretty _enough."

At Ellie's attentive gaze, he went on. "I never had feelings for her, still don't. It's strictly platonic. She's so nice and everything but her father is off-the-walls. You would think a girl like her would have luck in her life but she doesn't. She deserves so much better."

"Elijah's my brother. Have you ever met someone you wish you never knew? Elijah's mine. He's so fake. The only person I've ever seen tolerate him is Lo and I wonder if she's just doing it to be nice. He laughs too much and acts like the world is a big, happy place." Alexander explained, looking at the ceiling. He grunted again. "He could fuck off."

Ellie smiled like she understood but she didn't. She didn't have siblings or a family. "But that's your brother."

"Be lucky you don't have one," Alexander whispered. "I'd rather have no family than the one I have. I just d–" He started coughing, throwing his hands over his mouth to silence the sound. He fell forward, coughing harder, tears of pain moved to his eyes. She felt useless. Ellie approached him and touched his shoulder.

He collapsed at last. As his hands separated from his mouth, there was blood on his fingers. She checked his pulse like Akane taught her to and felt something, a dead sound. Weak but still there like a firefly in the night.

"Please don't die," Ellie murmured, clutching his lifeless fingers. "Please just don't."

"Ellie, we're coming up on the next town! Grab Alexander and get down here!" Akane yelled from downstairs.

Ellie sighed and stared at him. Maybe one day, he'd thank her.

-x-x-x-

The rampage was done. No survivors, no witnesses. There isn't meant to be anyone but the killers. It was so right and so wrong. Marie climbed off the floor and looped an arm over Terrence's shoulder. She smiled at him, placing her head on his chest. This was as affectionate as she ever got with him or anyone else. She was motionless when Ian tried to hug her.

"You're good, Terrence. Make sure you stay like this." she insisted, staring over the dead bodies still in their chairs. Eyes and mouths open in silent screams and terror.

"There was a reason I never left you."

He kissed her lips and she let him. They were murderers but it was okay. Nothing was wrong with killing the people that caused you to suffer in the first place.

-x-x-x-

**This is a very late update and I would apologize every chapter if it meant anything to anyone. Here's to anyone who's reviewed/favorite/read a chapter. I can't thank you enough.**

**Also, I've been tweaking the story a bit. There's been quite a few grammar and tense mistakes and I changed Catherina's name from Catherina to Lauren (see: Chapter 9.) I'll be editing for a while longer but I'll definitely get an update out before the next year. I'm currently back in school so I hope that counts as an excuse. No, not really? Okay.**

**Enjoy this though and you can hate Marie all you want. I have a love/hate relationship while writing her. **


	12. Chapter 12

They have docked on an unknown island. The structures closest to the water had their window shutters closed. Signs taped to shop windows and doors mostly said their storeowners were away on business. However, one well-established sign had its message written in dark-outlined letters, saying, _Will be back when the weather is nice_. _Trepassers will be prosecuted._

It was warm out. The sun was sitting in the sky, full and orange. Not a cloud in sight. It was just the right temperature. Birds cawed from far distances and feathers, all of different color and size, glazed the grass sparkling with dew. The water went with the breeze, making the air salty. It smelt like the ocean and cedar.

Akane leaned forward on the boat railing, waiting for Alexander. Ellie and Sabastian spoke about directions and the world and Alexander's health. They have very parental qualities, which she never noticed before. If not for their diagnosis and care, Alexander wouldn't have been able to salvage the life to sleep through the night. He wasn't dying-sick but he wasn't perfect either. Ellie already said he puked the cherry medicine she force-fed him. She took it for blood and lost her mind.

"Alexander, you're awake!"

Ellie scampered over to him as he ducked out of his cabin, recoiling at the sunlight. His sleeves were stretched to cover his hands and he wore a fleece over it that was a size too big. He also could use a comb through his hair and toothpaste but they had to settle for now.

It was a hassle to get Alexander to talk about himself but when she asked where the ship came from, he admitted to hijacking it. Not saying from where, however.

"How are you feeling?" Akane asked, staring at him as if she expected him to pass out before his next breath.

He didn't. His eyes were heavy and red. His nails tinted blue. He had decent nails for a guy. "I've been better."

"You've looked better," Akane said this as a joke but Alexander didn't react to it. His face was set emotionless.

Alexander ignored her. "We should just go in and grab some food and water–" A calm wind ruffled the water and Alexander winced like he saw blood, dropping his hands in his pockets. "Okay, someone remind me to get gloves. I need."

Ellie faced him, jerking his arm to get him to look at her. "We're not leaving until we find you a doctor. You might not see it but you're sick as a dog."

He passed her a glare but he had no vigor to strengthen it. He looked like a child being denied a toy. "I'm sorry but I don't remember asking for your opinion."

Akane pushed between them over to Sabastian, lifting a hand to his shoulder like they were about to witness a murder. "It's about to get ugly."

"You don't have to. You'll get it either way," she snapped, moving up to his face. He was taller but not by much. "Stop acting so rude and since you're probably not used to hearing people stand up to you, get off your high horse! I'm trying to be nice and help _you_. If not for us, you wouldn't have woken up this morning or ever again. I'm waiting for my thank you, Alex."

He closed his eyes and breathed, loud, like her words took physical toll on his life. His breath had a slight kiss of smoke. He must've finished his last cigarette. "Thank you."

But he didn't mean it. He didn't sound sincere. As he noticed the shops bombarded with signs and planks of wood nailed to the doors. Arms closed to visitors. Alexander placed his feet on the dock and held himself with the grace of a soldier on-command.

"I'm going to try and look for an open shop. I'm broke, but desperate times call for desperate measures. No one follow me. We'll meet back here before the sun goes down. Okay?" Alexander instructed. Everyone was silent. He raised an eyebrow and a hand to accentuate his point. But his voice was hoarse like he had bronchitis. "_Okay_?"

Akane smiled and waved him away. "Your wish is our command, Captain Alex."

He rolled his eyes as though she told a bad joke and walked away. They watched him go until Sabastian turned to the girls, breaking the silence with his voice, an eyebrow raised.

"So since our captain has taken leave without us, what should we do?" he asked, lifting his head in a motion to think better.

Akane faced Ellie, smiling like she already had a thought-up plan. "What do you say, Secondary Captain Ellie? We march on your word."

Ellie shrugged. She thought of Marie. She tried to think what Marie would do but the only things that came up were how bad the knife would hurt when Marie plunged it in her. How Marie would smile as she did it and call her a pig, a sewer rat, digging the blade deeper until she couldn't breathe, laughing as she slowly bled to death.

She smiled at them. "Go where the wind takes us?"

Akane grinned. "Good enough."

"Yeah, agreed."

-x-x-x-

Alexander decided to walk as far as he could to cool off. Obviously, he didn't get very far but he was calmer by the time he reached the hill. A white building with a red-cross on the side squatted beside a rundown shop, plastic blinds in the windows. There were no signs on the doors. The air was both hot and cold, an in-between temperature. He really didn't know what to feel.

He couldn't take a risk with the clinic. Not like he would find anything worth stealing. His stomach snarled and he clutched it, bent over dead flowerbed, feeling like he was going to lose what remained in his system. He doesn't remember eating or drinking anything today or any other day.

There was no sign of existence in animals, plants, humans. At least when he and Ellie boated to their first town together, they met Rosalina, Blake, and Hoshiko. They weren't much but they were still people. This was a ghost town, a graveyard.

The sickness ran out of his blood and he held a hand in his hair. He smelled sea salt and sweat on his clothes. His hands shook in his pockets. The nail of his ring finger was cracked through the middle and he hadn't had the chance to look in the mirror, and would prefer not to. But he did want food. Not salty ramen or lemonade made of sink water or cereal without milk. Real food made of real ingredients and pillows for his room and an _omelette_ for breakfast, golden and crunchy, coated with melted cheese, a side of hash browns–

Alexander walked to the back of the store, looking for a window to break into. He found one that was fairly open, a towel that reached outside hung down to the grass. He pressed his fingers under the break and pulled, feeling like he dislocated his hand. The window opened halfway and he crawled through it, falling inside of the store with a _thud._

There was one light, a lamp on the check-out counter. The bulb was flickering like it was fading out but he was able to identify the shelves and cobweb-stained cash register. It was nicer from the outside like a new house in a bad section of town. Alexander squinted in the dark and felt his way around the store. He saw practically nothing on the shelves. He found only a moldy orange, a box of macaroni and cheese, a plastic barrel of tortilla chips, boxes of instant oatmeal; a canister of sugar, an apple and a bag of celery.

Alexander sneezed and his nose became puffy. He didn't like being sick. Does anyone? He never got sick. He was healthy, he ate healthy, he showered. Now that he thought about it, he hasn't done much of that. He hasn't kept up with himself. He wore the same clothes and smiled less. He can't sleep without a nightmare or doze off during the day.

He grabbed the case of tortilla chips and unscrewed the cap, dropping it on the counter. He devoured a particularly salty chip in one bite and it crumbled into dust on his tongue. He saw how white the sky was, like surgical tape. He clutched what food he had and squinted at it. It rained white spheres, silver and clustered.

It was snowing.

Alexander dug into his memories and tried to remember the last time it snowed in Shellsound. It was rare in such a normally bright place. But he remembered.

A month before his second sister was born, it did. He was six or seven. Lauren and her parents came by to visit. Elijah had allergies and had been drifting around the house like a virus, clogging his nose with tissues. Lauren was in a white coat and had her hair knotted into mini buns. Misty, his mother, was chasing after her first daughter with a big belly. The grownups talked about business and he, Lauren, and Elijah went outside. They ate sugar cookies and apple pie until the night poured in.

That summer, Lauren cried until she was driven to sleep. Her mother was found by the housekeeper with her throat slashed. There were no witnesses or fingerprints. Days and months passed and Lauren started smiling again. But she was never the same. She became like Elijah in some ways, a skeleton of someone else. He couldn't blame her though. Her mother was a martyr and her father's a lunatic. Lauren is something in-between.

Winters brought warmer hearts and better memories.

He always liked the snow better.

-x-x-x-

"_Emmett_, _what is love_?"

_Emmett breathed smoke in Marie_'_s face_. _They were on the porch to his house_. _His parents never let him smoke inside_–_or even in the bathroom_–_because it made the whole house stink like drugs_. _If a peace officer were to investigate_, _the whole family would be arrested and shipped to the island labs for evaluation_. _The people that have been brought back home were already dead_, _starved to bones or had a bullet in their head. It was never not gruesome._

"_Who the fuck knows_, _Marie_?" _he asked_, _sliding closer_. _His hand was cold as it slid to her thigh_. "_What we got is love_. _That_'_s all I know_." _He held his cigarette to her_, _rolled with something toxic_. _It smelled good but it made her sleepy and lazy_. _She didn_'_t look fourteen_. "_Take another hit_. _It_'_s good for you_."

_Marie looked away and traced a heart on the baseboards_. "_No_, _Em_. _I can_'_t_…_I just can_'_t_. _Donnie will be so mad_."

"_Who cares about him_? _He_'_s not even your brother_. _I don_'_t get why he_'_s up your ass all the time_."

"_Don_'_t judge him_. _He_'_s a good brother_. _He only wants what_'_s best for me_."

_Emmett came too close to her face_. _She whimpered and fell back on the floorboards_, _shaking_, _as he towered over her like a killer_. _His face and eyes were dark_. _The cigarette was in her face and it looked like a terrible_, _dangerous thing_. _She felt wrong_. _She was a terrible person_.

_Marie made a timid sound before shaking her head_, _determined_, _like she knew what was best_. "_No_."

_He took his cigarette_, _licked the side_, _and climbed over her_. _Her arms were locked under him and all she could do was watch_. _His knee cracked into her ribs and she screamed because she could_. _He called her a bitch and told her to be quiet_, _wrestling a hand over her mouth_.

_When she bit his hand to release her voice_, _he stubbed his cigarette on her tongue_.

_She didn_'_t have to scream anymore_. _Love wasn_'_t like this_.

Ellie gasped and caught the attention of her shipmates. Akane raised an eyebrow and Sabastian tilted his head at her. They were quiet, waiting for her answer. She didn't. Marie's past could haunt her until she died and no one would understand. If she told them about Marie, they would think of her as crazy.

Not that she already was. She did value their opinions. She valued everyone's opinion. There's so much not right with her and to hear someone's opinion, especially considering Marie's memories, would mean the world to her.

"It's nothing," Ellie said, scrutinizing the houses and stores from the deck. It was snowing. White painted over the grass. It wasn't a total snowstorm but the weather was at its best. "I wonder how Alexander's doing. He's been gone long."

Akane nodded and turned to the sky. It was darker and grayer. The sun was farther and less bright. "It's almost sundown. The guy better have found something good for taking long."

Sabastian raised an eyebrow. "Should we go looking for him? I mean, we haven't heard from him for hours."

Ellie wanted to agree. They should've gone with him but he insisted on being alone. She shouldn't have been so aggressive with him. He was on the verge of pneumonia and they let him meander off into a ghost town. His voice was croaky and he had sick breath last time she saw him.

He could've collapsed and they would never know. Right now, he could be face-down in the snow, a blanket of ice covering his shoulders. Eyelashes clotted with frost, nails bluer than fountain water.

"Maybe we _should _go look for him." Ellie suggested, her mind giving her the image that Alexander was already blue-faced and unconscious from the cold. "It isn't like him to be this late."

Sabastian faced her. "He could've stumbled upon a doctor and went to get himself checked out."

Akane didn't even contemplate it. "Do you really think he'd do that? He went off on us earlier, saying that he _wasn_'_t_ sick. He'd be eating his words if he actually ran to find a doctor. Even though he wasn't super nice to us this morning, I'm a little worried."

"I second that," Ellie nodded, looking at her through the corner of her eye.

"Then why don't we just go look for him already?" Sabastian asked, raising an eyebrow. "We're not really doing much here."

Ellie sighed. She didn't know how to decide. "I say, we wait a while longer before we go looking for him."

Dimples ringed Akane's smile. "Ay, ay, Captain!"

But when the moon, huge and golden, appeared and four hours passed, Alexander still wasn't back.

-x-x-x-

"Why is it th-this _cold_?" Alexander asked himself. His hands and knees were shaking while he dragged his feet through the snow. It reached his ankles and gray slush oozed into his socks as he walked. His eyes were puffy and heavy, his nose was red and stuffy. "It was s-s-so…_nice _before. I need food and sleep, long sleep."

The sky was purple and the moon was golden, the world's personal flashlight. Snowflakes swirled into his face and into his eyes, diverting him. Alexander stumbled and held his hands out under him to balance himself. He looked ahead and saw that the houses had light, lamps behind curtains.

He couldn't see the ship from where he was and confusion swamped him.

They wouldn't have left without him. He relied on them and they relied on him. They needed each other.

He still hadn't found decent food. The food from the store _was _decent but it wouldn't last them. His stomach rumbled as a remembrance.

Alexander thought about the mental facility his father once lived in. They had terrible food–apple juice in plastic containers, tasteless oatmeal, quesadillas baked with melted cheese and raw meat. At the time, his father would lick his plate clean and beg for his seconds but he would snack on the prepackaged cookies in the vending machine. At the time, he would've rather eat his own hand.

"Why is this happened?" he swore, lifting a hand over his eyes. He was approaching the medical building with the red-cross. It was so close and he was so far. He pleaded to God through his mind, begging Him to lessen the cold and help get food in his stomach.

He's greedy and selfish but he doesn't care. He deserves these things.

Alexander squinted and acknowledged the clinic. He was steps away from the door. The lights were startling and he sniffed the air, searching for familiarity, but he remembered his clogged nose and felt disgusted with himself.

His foot caught on something, chipped sidewalk or upturned grass, and he staggered face-first into the snow. It bled into his teeth and inside his shirt, scalding his skin like hot oil. Alexander fumbled around in the snow, catching it between his fingers and in his nails. He was trying to stand but his body was numb. He couldn't lift himself. He couldn't move.

He closed his fists under him and received little warmth. Black spots filled his vision and he raised a hand to swat them away. They were persistent, lingering, like a moth to a flame.

Staring at the moon, his never-forgotten memories flooded him. Learning how to swim in the family pool and going under for the first time. His mother's face when he said he'd rather live with his father. Lauren's tears when he mentioned her mother and Elijah's fist connecting with his nose, breaking it, the next day. The last Christmas with his father, how tiny his second sister was when she was born. The crack Elijah's hand made when he punched a window. They were memories, good and bad. They made him who he was.

He was important.

Alexander closed his eyes and darkness swept over him, a door closing over a hard life.

-x-x-x-

"Doctor, we have a problem!"

Jefferson turned away from his potions and tilted his monocle at her. His medical assistant, Caroline, panted heavily from the door, holding her chest. Her voice was urgent and terrified.

"What is it, Caroline?" he asked, climbing out of his chair. The air was stained with smoke from another failed experiment.

"There's…a…boy…outside, unconscious, weak pulse. I couldn't lift him myself. He is so _pale _and cold." Caroline explained, tying her sandy blonde hair back into a crooked ponytail with elastic. "You have to help him before he…he–"

Jefferson nodded. "I'm on it."

He followed her out the door and she started off running into the snow. The weather was terrible, another side-effect of Lord Macao's ever-changing emotions. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and he watched as Caroline knelt beside a body. Jefferson rushed to their side, dropping to his knees.

It was a boy. He was blonde and covered in snow. His face was an eerie white and he briefly wondered how long he'd been out in this horrid weather. His eyes were open, the whites of them cracked red, but he wasn't conscious. His breathing was light, a whisper. Jefferson checked his wrists, neck, and forehead.

The boy was limp and his forehead was burning.

-x-x-x-

**There ends today's chapter. I'm officially on Spring Break and my motivation for today was the readers–and an amazing peanut butter milkshake.**

**I actually slacked off on this chapter a little. I didn't think I'd finish it today but I started reading through the character applications I received and developed a lot of ideas. I actually forgot how big the crew is and when I counted everyone…well, this was my face: O.O**

**And I started watching One Piece again. I just passed Ace's death and Luffy's brotherhood with Ace and Sabo–which broke my heart and inspired me–so beware, readers.**

**Ignore my rant though. Enjoy the chapter!**


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